Share Your Story

How your life changes.

Hello my name is Mary Lou. I'm 52 yrs old. On Dec 4, 2013 I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer. I have had consistent annual mammograms and ultrasounds ..each time were clear. When I received my news I felt like I had been slammed into a brick wall. As I write this note, I feel like I am speaking about someone else...this is surreal. My life has forever changed! I am digging deep inside myself to stay strong, focused and positive but I really want to start screaming and not stop! I want to go to bed and when I wake up I will realize it has just been a nightmare and my life can go back to normal. I have been given very challenging treatment choices and I have chosen to have a mastectomy. Surgery is January 6...the day my journey begins. I have been suffering from anxiety which has created other problems for me. I have the most wonderful husband who has been helping to keep me focused and balanced. My fears and anxiety are driving me and I need to stay in control. I have no family history of cancer but I did have a serious fall in Nov 2011 and injured my breast causing a large hematoma. Ironically this is where the cancer is now. They say that injuries do not cause cancer but I am not sure about that. I have some very loving and supportive people in my inner circle, one namely my son. This support is helping me to stay strong. It's really sad how I have taken my health for granted....I am a very healthy person, eat right, exercise (could stand to lose a few pounds) but for the most part a very healthy person. I have been slapped in the face with my diagnosis....I cannot do anything to change it so I'm going to fight it with every ounce of will power I have.
I am embracing life....every day is precious ...I am going to share and glorify every moment I can with the people I love.

Mary Lou Fulford
Orillia, Canada

Heart Failure helped to discover Breast Cancer

My journey started after I had a Triple Bypass Surgery on December 31,2013. While recovering from the unexpected surgery, I had a Heart Attack 5 months later on May 17, 2014.
Still experiencing shortness of breathe, the Emergency Room Physician ordered a Heart Scan. To everyone surprise, the scan revealed a mass on my left breast. On August 12, 2013, 3 days before my 52nd birthday, I received the news that the biopsy was positive for Triple Nerve Breast Cancer. I am in the middle of my chemotherapy treatments then Radiation treatment will start.
I will beat this because I am a survivor. Death is not an option, survival is mandatory. I have a strong family and friend support and serve an awesome God. I am looking forward to 2014 when I can say I am cancer free.

Yvonne Coble
Fort Worth, TX

My little girls hero

Hi my name is Robin Abitanto. At age 37 I was diagnosed with DCIS. My personal choice was to be as preventative as possible while I'm lucky enough to have this chance, and take whatever route that would give me the most peace of mind. My decision was to have a bilateral mastectomy. I wanted to be Free of mammograms and long waiting periods of anxiety to get mammogram results. During this time I was also challenged by many other life crisis. I was going thru divorce, sold my house, started a new job and my sole responsibility of raising my daughter who was then 6. God has given me the strength to tackle thru this all. I am now 5yrs cancer free, beautiful new breast, engaged to a wonderful man I met along this journey,a super mom,a successful business woman. And an inspiration to many. I am my little girls hero.

Robin Abitanto
Toms River, NJ

my nanna

we heard those words at the start of December this year. you have breast cancer. My nanna doesn't deserve this I keep thinking. Then I stop and think how strong and amazing my nanna is. If I don't fight with her to beat this crap I may as well say goodbye to her now. I am not ready to say goodbye but I am ready to fight alongside my nanna.

lisa odgaard
gracemere, Australia

My Mom Saved My Life

I was 34 when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2012. My doctor told me to get a mammogram when I turned 35. So in July, I had a mammogram. Soon after, I had an ultrasound and biopsy, then was diagnosed with breast cancer in September, just six months after my mom’s diagnosis. I remember telling my mom about my diagnosis while she still had drainage tubes from her double mastectomy. I was originally diagnosed with stage 0 DCIS and opted for a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. Once in surgery, the doctors discovered my cancer had spread to the lymph nodes. This changed everything. I was now diagnosed with stage 2A breast cancer. I did not get immediate reconstruction and chemotherapy was necessary. I was devastated because I saw my mom go through chemotherapy and understood the effects of it, but I became a fighter. A fighter for myself, my husband and my two little girls, both under 5 years old. I underwent chemo from January to April 2013 and will finish Herceptin treatments in January 2014. I've had two reconstructive surgeries and have at least two more to go. The past two years have been tough, but my mom and I are both survivors. I truly believe I'm alive today because of my mom's diagnosis. Had she not been diagnosed with breast cancer, I would not have had a mammogram, and would have discovered my breast cancer at a much later stage. Her diagnosis is the reason I am alive. She is my guardian angel.

Tammy Seabolt
Covington, GA

HAVE A MERRY, BLESSED CHRISTMAS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS! No matter the difficulties we have gone through or are going through, tomorrow is the day to celebrate a wonderful miracle. I know the miracle baby became the man whom I follow this day. I know that our Heavenly Father is the One who has been with me through my breast cancer journey, and He is the One who gave me The Sparkle Caps Project, so that (as of this morning) 650 gift bags have been prepared for women in treatment for cancer of any type.
I started my breast cancer journey in February 2010 (my birthday present was my 9-month overdue mammogram). I was HER2NU and Estrogen + and have been on an Estrogen blocker for almost 3 years, which has caused my “old-feeling / walking” legs). As breast cancer survivors, we all know the value of a day, that wonderful PRESENT from God.
May you each have the most Blessed, Beautiful, Wonderful, Amazing, Love-Filled Christmas Eve and Day. God bless.
P.S. Today I am so honored to be preparing at least five Christmas / Angel Sparkle Caps gift bags, to be delivered to one of the chemo nurses at SC Oncology next week, when all of these recipients will be getting chemo, 3 of whom are new starts. The goal of our gift bags is to empower and uplift women traveling the cancer road, and these 5 women will certainly benefit from these bags of blessings at a very difficult time in their lives during the most wonderful time of the year. (Yes, I know that the holidays are difficult for so many—I lost both my brothers in Decembers—but I also know that if we keep our eyes focused on our Heavenly Father, there are blessings even on the most difficult days.)

Susan "Victorious" Heimbigner
Sumter, SC

My Journey Begins

My name is Jennifer and I am 52 years old. I was suffering from vertigo and went for a check up in August. I had a check-up and blood work. Diagnosis of Vertigo and rx for antivert. Doc said time for your mammogram. October being breast cancer awareness month, I scheduled for October
14th. A few days after testing I got a call telling me I needed an MRI of my breasts due to a suspicious area in my left breast. I have always had lumpy bumpy boobs but I was anxious this time. There was an urgency to her voice. I had my MRI on November 4th, my Mom's birthday. I lost my Mom to breast cancer 23 years ago after a brave long battle of breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer. A few days after my MRI my doc calls and tells me a trip to a surgeon is needed for consult and biopsy. I see the surgeon November 14th. He is certain from my MRI results it is cancer. He does an exam, sonogram and biopsy. He tells me bluntly my only option is bilateral mastectomy with lymph node removal on my left side. He leaves the room and I breakdown and cry. I have to get it together. My 16 yo daughter is waiting for me. I got my result in a phone call. Due to the aggressive and invasive nature of my cancer and blood work the surgeon recommends additional testing. I saw another surgeon and he confirms diagnosis and testing needs. I just saw an oncologist who tells me chemo is not an option for my hormone driven cancer. Surgery and then radiation to metastatic areas. My journey is just beginning in a fight for my life.

Jennifer Richie
Corsicana, TX

Kimmys fight

I found a lump in left breast while cleaning windows for my mom during Easter break 2013. In May I under went a mammogram, ultrasound and mri ...the only test that lump showed on was ultrasound. I. . Then I had incision biopsy and on May 17th I got call it was cancer. I had surgery then started chemotherapy on Aug 5th and finished on Nov. 18th. I am now doing radiation 33 treatments, I have completed 11 so far. I believe in tackling lifes adversities head on with chin up and head held high. I think I have done this thru the support of friends and family. Finding cancer I believe has made me stronger and a better person. It has not been easy but i will prevail. If there in one message I can get out to everyone do self breast exams every 30 days don't always rely on tests you know your body better than anyone else. Best of luck to anyone reading this...smooches

Kimberly Clements
Colonial Heights, AL

A Women of Strength and Courage

I started out young at 26 a Hysterectomy because of cancer, at the age of 28 started my journey with all the problems with my Breast started with Biopsy to Lumpectomies, Cystitis, I always had to go to Breast Care Doctors and at the age of 47-48 I found out the first time I had Breast Cancer and was put on tamoxifen which was very hard on me found out I was unable to take the medication and then we moved and I started going to a new doctor that I believed in and trusted he had me go through the tests and I remember so well walking in his office and you could hear a pin drop, he said "Becky we need to do a Bilateral and Radical Mastectomy" a little over a month later the Operation went well,after my research I did not have Reconstruction, I had 17 Lymph nodes on left Breast and 12 Lymph nodes on right Breast taken ,The after fact was a nightmare the word Cancer scared everyone away, I felt alone I had no-one, I had to fight this I did not want to give up easy, I was not going to let this get me, I was put on Tamoxifen again I was so sick so went on a different medication, my Oncologist told me they got all the cancer and had me go off medication due to other health issues, To this day I will not undress in front of my husband and I hate looking at my self because I had a bad Mastectomy and if I can tell anyone PLEASE check your Surgeon out if the internet states 5 star not all true do your research, I have to live a different life today but I love life and enjoy it to the fullness. I love to help others. I opened my site "Becky's Cancer Group of Michigan" did not do well but I receive calls from others and from the Hospital I talk with Cancer Patients that has been the best medicine I could ever ask for me!

Becky Specht
Fraser, MI

breast cancer

My name is Linda Reynolds. I was diagnosed with Stage 3B breast cancer , Sept. 21,2004. I had chemotherapy treatments first to reduce the size of the mass. I then had a lumpectomy, but two weeks later I had to go back and have a mastectomy because there was still cancer in my breast. I had 33 radiation treatments. I had good checkups until 3 months before my 9 years cancer free. My cancer had returned in my bones in my back. I had three high intense radiation treatments that was to destroy the two cancer spots in my back. Two and a half months later I found out that I had more cancer spots show up on my spine and a spot on my liver. They were small, but I had to start chemotherapy treatments. I have had six treatments and I am waiting to see if I need more. I was misdiagnosed on my breast cancer. The wrong type of mammogram was done, so for a year I was told it wasn't cancer. This allowed it to enter my lymph nodes. My story is to help other people, male or female to get second opinions if they have concerns. Also staying strong, positive, and trusting the Lord to carry you through this time is the only way to defeat cancer. May God bless those going through cancer treatment.

Linda Reynolds
Holden, MO