FORT WALTON BEACH — Roberta Justice always wanted to be a hairstylist. She loved playing with hair as a girl, learning to braid when she was 11 years old.
Life had different plans, but a few decades and six children later Justice found herself able to go after her dream. She took cosmetology classes at night and worked during the day to provide for herself and her two youngest children — twins Marcus and Angelica, who are now 16 years old.
“What an accomplishment,” Justice said. “For me, it was like becoming president of the United States.”
Two rounds of cancer have ended Justice’s hairstyling career — for the time being.
“One day I’ll be back again,” Justice said with a smile. “I can’t doubt it.”
In 2010, she remembers sitting with her daughter watching TV when she felt a knot on the side of her chest. She remembers neither of them thinking anything of it, although its possible meaning sank in later.
A doctor’s visit confirmed what Justice had begun to worry about: She had cancer. It was in the early stages, so the lump was removed and she underwent radiation.
“I went on with life,” she said.
Compared to the latest round of cancer, her first fight was easy, Justice said.
Justice has had problems with her right shoulder for six or seven years now, making it impossible for her to lift her arm high. She noticed another knot in the shoulder and brought it up with her chiropractor, who thought it was just fluid. She mentioned it to her oncologist, who recommended a biopsy.
The doctor “didn’t like the look of the knot,” Justice said.
Despite initial negative results, he continued pushing Justice to undergo more invasive tests. Eventually, the cancer was found.
Justice underwent surgery as well as radiation and chemotherapy. Two lymph nodes were also removed, causing severe swelling and tenderness in her arm.
The pain from her treatments and a blood clot that developed in her arm were so bad it was all she could do not to crawl into a ball, Justice said. But with her loving family and friends, determination and faith in God, she remains positive.
“Half of it is just mental,” Justice said. “You can do the physical.”
The only thing she misses more than hairstyling is working with her church, Striving for Perfection Ministries. She used to be a greeter at Sunday services and went to Bible study on Wednesdays. Now she just attends Sunday services.
“We’re a big family,” Justice said. “Just all of us sisters and brothers. You can feel the love walking in there.”
Her church family has helped support her spiritually, emotionally and sometimes financially. The financial burden has been the hardest part of dealing with cancer, Justice said. The family lives on her disability check and some church assistance. It still isn’t enough.
“I get tired of asking,” Justice said.
Her teenagers have wants and needs, she said, but the experience has certainly helped them understand the difference between the two.
“They’ve been so understanding throughout this,” Justice said. “For how understanding they’ve been, they should be rewarded.”
Her New Year’s wishes are ones any mother would have: She wants to see the twins graduate from high school. One day, she wants to see her grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Justice has faith that she will get all her wishes one day.
“God brought me through it once. I believe he’ll do it again,” she said.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Lauren Delgado at 850-315-4445 or ldelgado@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenDnwfdn.