In an open letter to her friends, Beth Chapman reveals she's been struggling with a possibly deadly diagnosis.

Fans of the hit reality show Dog the Bounty Hunter will remember the fugitive tracker's wife Beth, who worked with him at their Da'Kine Bail Bonds office and tagged along on his manhunts. Beth starred in all eight seasons of the show, as well as the spinoff Dog and Beth: On the Hunt.

Her bold fashion choices and her big personality made her a hit with fans. Episodes often focused on Dog and Beth's rocky relationship as much as their crime fighting, and no other shows on TV featured a couple quite like these two.

While Beth usually stayed in the car as Dog and his sons grabbed the bad guys, she always had some choice words for the fugitives about how they needed to turn their life around. The genuine compassion Dog and Beth felt for their bounties is part of what made the show such a success.

Beth and her husband have been off the air for a few years, but they've been busy working as lobbyists for the bounty hunting industry. That's why Beth's sudden announcement took her fans by surprise.

"As most of you know," she begins, "I've spent a lifetime facing tests and challenges I didn't see coming and certainly never expected..."

In her open letter, Beth shares the sad news of her stage II throat cancer diagnosis.

"I've been dealt my share of unexpected blows over the course of my almost fifty years but nothing as serious as the one I heard from my doctors two weeks ago when they uttered those dreaded three words, "˜You have cancer.'"

For months Beth had been dealing with a "nagging cough," but had no idea it was a sign of something serious until a routine checkup found a tumor in her throat. The growth will require "immediate surgery" because it's blocking her breathing.

"To be certain," Beth writes, "I've stared down the devil more than once in my life but I've never faced a real life or death decision. My life has never been easy, and I surely don't expect it to start now. Still, I've never been a victim and I won't let cancer beat me. I realize the road I am about to travel will be rocky, full of unexpected twists and turns. But I know one thing for sure. A bend in the road is not the end of the road."

The reality star will have a better idea of what her condition is after the surgery, but says she's determined to pull through because "My husband and children are counting on me to be there for years to come."

Share this story and wish Beth the best of luck with her surgery!