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Stage 3C breast cancer

My name is Cheryl, I am 51 years old and I was diagnosed with Stage 3C HER2+ positive BC In August 2013, Sept 24 I had a double Mastectomy and started my 6 rounds of Chemo in October. Unfortunately my surgical site reopened in November and had to stop treatment for 2 months to try and heal, I had a home health nurse coming to my house 3 times a week to clean and change my bandage which was not healing very fast due to the treatments I already had the healing process was extremely slow, finally I had to have a wound vac attached to my chest for a month and it finally started to heal. Then in January I developed cellulitus and spent 7 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics. Finally in February 2014 I started chemo again and I have 1 more to go on April 1st, after chemo is done I will be having 7 weeks of radiation 5 days a week and finishing my 52 weeks of herceptin in the fall of 2014. My experience has truly been a roller coaster ride, but the one piece of advice I will give to all is you must stay positive and focus on recovering, without my positive attitude I don't think I would made it this far with feeling as good as I do, my side effects to chemo have been minimal and I focus on getting past all the treatment and to move on with my life...God Bless all of you that are fighting this horrific disease, just remember you can do it keep your chin up and fight like a girl!!

Cheryl Jones
Holiday, FL

The Lord is my Strength!

Four months ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Im am a Soldier stationed in Korea with my children. After going through the realization that I too have to go through the process of chemo and surgery had to grasp that not only my life was about to affected but my kids and my career especially being stationed overseas with kids as a single parent . By Gods grace, my faith and my fight I had surgery after having my lympnoid tested with negative results made me know Gods in control. I have completed 3 sessions of chemo with 3 treatments left. I have so much more fight in me! I charge all cancer supporters and survivors to be inspired by inspiring others!!!
The lord is my strength~

Shelethea Bailey
Camp Humpherys, Korea, Republic of

I Will Not Be The Ninth

I will never forget the day I went with my Mom to hear the news from the doctor that she is the 8th woman in our immediate family to have breast cancer...

She was floored. I wasn't. Her two sisters had just gone through the fight of their lives a couple years previous to this. Cousins, aunts....there were 7 before her in total. Aunt C even had a protein that included an extra year of treatment because it can make the cancer spread like wildfire. They are all better now....they all survived.

My mom had a rough go. Her treatment was a lumpectomy which left her very self conscious and disfigured and radiation. Thankfully her sisters brought her to their town to do this. They had been there done that and wanted to help. It was not fun...

While all of this was happening I happened to catch Adria Vasil (my mentor) on a tv show talking about the dangers of chemicals and health. It started a total journey for me. I was in the process of opening a day spa. I purchased the book Ecoholic body and now I own my own non-toxic spa that only deals with chemical free product. I believe this is a huge contributor to breast cancer, toxic deodorants etc. I educate people daily on this.
won't be the ninth.....

I am booking a flight to Cuba as I write this to be with a dear friend who also had breast cancer and a mastectomy 15 years ago. It has now come back and spread to 10 other locations in her body and she is going through 8 treatments of chemo, they have given her a year. At Christmas they had to share the news with their 16 year old son. She just reported that they have reduced the cancer in her lungs by 50%! I am holding out for a miracle every day that she can beat this a second time. In the meantime I will be drinking piña coladas on the beach in Cuba with her....

Anonymous
Bolton, Canada

Thank you.

I just want to thank everyone that clicks on the support for Free Mammogram's. Today I was a lucky recipient of a Free Mammogram because I am one of the many that has no insurance and had a need for one. My younger sister has stage 3 breast cancer and will have her last chemo treatment on Friday and then on to radiation. Go Frankie.

Jeanie
Dustin, OK

My Breast Cancer Story - Jayne E. Buckley

My story started with an ordinary trip for medication refills at the dr. when she said i haven't had a mammogram in a while and should go get one. When they bought the film up in the room there was a big glaring white spot on my right breast. I had an ultrasound the next week and a biopsy the following one and was diagnosed with HER2 Stage IIa breast cancer. I always had blood pressure issues so I though heart attack or stroke never cancer. I had 2 chemo sessions of which the last one almost killed me my red blood count and white blood count and electrolytes became so far off I nearly died and required 2 pints of blood in a transfusion on top of that I had pneumonia. One week in the hospital, and lots of home health care I now am scheduled for surgery the 2 chemo sessions shrunk my tumor from 1 inch to the size of a pea so my surgeon said it is time for the lumpectomy. After the surgery we will decide if i need more chemo (really afraid of this option) or just radiation. It is hard for me to believe this is happening to me I was a pharmacy tech just 3 months ago comforting ill people at the pharmacy, now I am that ill person. I haven't worked in 3 months and anticipate another month after surgery before I am back at work if I can go back at all. But Jesus has got this there is a plan I don't know about and I will have to find out as I go along. I do want to thank all the people behind me helping. People at work are making jewelry and selling it and giving me the profit, raffles have been done in my name I appreciate all the help and concern everyone has shown me. It is times like this you know who really matters and who really cares, I would like to mention my family without who I could have gone through this.

Jayne E. Buckley
Little River, SC

a fighters story

Back in 2008,i found a lump in my right breast!i had a 11 month old baby so i put it down to that!a week later i saw my gp,and was referred to the breast clinic,they performed numerous test,after a short wait my suspicions were confirmed i had stage 3 triple negative breast cancer!my world fell apart!
within a month i had a mastectomy,reconstruction and 12 lymph nodes removed!the good news was the cancer had'nt spread and was contained within the breast!!after a couple of months i started a 6 cycle of chemo!
6 years later i have had another baby who is now 2!am in 5 year remission!
i am having genetic testing for the bracca 2 gene!the reason for testing as i was 31!if i am carrying gene i will cross that bridge when it comes!am so happy to be here and see my beautiful girls and be a fantastic wife.

leigh taylor
swindon,wiltshire, United Kingdom

The secret feeling, that we don't tell anyone!

We're told we're so brave! I've been told that many, many times... But there's a hidden truth behind every smile!

Only you can really hear it! It's the sound of your heart breaking, when it get's too loud you'll run and hide to let the tears flow down your cheeks. You're not feeling brave, you are terrified! Throughout surgeries and treatments, you want everyone else to be brave and strong. But that feeling is always there... What if I never see you again!

I live overseas from my friends. I grew up in England and moved to the US when I was 19! - I've lost touch with my family (mother and 3 sisters) that can't be changed because they have told me clearly that they don't want to be a part of my life! I asked for my childhood photos, but they refuse to send any to me. - To them I am already gone!

But I have friends that have been right by my side every step of the way, both here in the US and back home!

The last time I saw my friends back home we were all laughing like schoolgirls so loud that people stared and laughed too! - I can't think about that night without crying... "What if I never see them again?" I'd have hugged longer and looked into their eyes trying to remember every detail of their happy faces.

6 months ago I didn't know what Invasive Lobular Carcinoma really meant. Breast Cancer was Breast Cancer! But, it isn't... It's a life changing experience. It's a thief of dreams! I might not be able to afford to see them again!

They say it's a small world, but it feels like it's swallowing me up and bigger than it ever was! Or in Simpler terms... England seems like it's a million miles away!

Brigitte Baxter Steiz
Milford, CT

I found out that I am stronger than I thought I was!!!

On September 23, 2013, I had a regular mammogram, and on Sept. 25, I was told that I had breast cancer in my left breast. I had a lumpectomy on October 25, but part of the margins were not clear, so I had surgery again on Nov. 6. I would have recovered well, but I contracted MRSA and was hospitalized for 3 days in mid-November. From Dec. 23 untl Feb. 5, 2014, I had radiation, and it was entirely manageable. The worst part for me was going for the treatment each day. My cancer was the most common......estrogen & progesterone positive, non-genetic, stage IIB.....and my oncotype score was 17. I started Femara one month ago and have had no side effects at all to date. Getting the cancer diagnosis is scary. Naturally, the first thing that popped into my mind was the idea of dying and of chemo. I was very lucky that I did not need chemo! God bless those who do. Prayer and my faith have gotten me through the roughest times. Today I feel good. I am thankful to the doctors, nurses, and medical staff who were so caring and so proficient.

Marsha
Ladson, SC

It's never to early

I felt a pain in my left side last in dec 2012 like I cracked a rib, no other symptoms. my doc sent me for a ultra sound, the tech told me to go for a MRI right away, my docs office refused I stopped fighting w them after a month of trying to get an appt. in April 2013 just a week before my 27 bday I found a lump by fluke in the shower, I waited the weekend went again to my docs office got turned away. went to the hospital after a long time three docs and a specialist I had a MRI with a biopsy, I got the phone call the day before (April 26) my bday to tell me I had cancer. after less than three months I was stage 2. I'm also brca1+ I went and got the testing before my surgery. So my MSG is fight and check, no matter how young you are or what your doc refuses to do, you need to fight for yourself! Stay strong ladies, I'm now almost 6 months cancer free, I did the double surgery and 4 1/2 months of chemo, you can do it keep that in your minds. ❤️

Ashley
Barrie, Canada

My Angel

My friend, Angel, was diagnosed with breast cancer over 2 years ago. She went through a complete mastectomy, reconstruction and had just a few chemo treatments before she was hospitalized with a rare infection around her heart. Against her wishes, my husband and I went to visit her in the hospital . I remember Angel and I both crying and she throwing her tissues at me because she didn't want my husband and I to see her "looking like that". All I could think about was how much I needed to see her. Before all this we were close friends, but now I consider her family. I'd never conveyed to her how much she meant to me until fearing we could lose her. Angel helps make my insanity seem sane and I couldn't imagine life without her. Thankfully, I won't. My Angel has been a breast cancer survivor for 2 years now. Was happy to have her by my side as we walked in last May's Race for the Cure and she was able to finish with so many other survivors. My advice to anyone out there who knows someone suffering with this awful disease....don't let a day go by without letting them know how important they are to you and how much they are loved.

Laura Dunaj
Hilliard, OH