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Not your typical birthday gift

It was a cold spring day. I had just finished moving out of my apartment two days after my 25th birthday. A week later I noticed a pain in my chest. I couldn't breathe, when I walked it would hurt. My spine started hurting and I knew someting wasn't right but I still brushed it off until everyone said go to the doctor. I went and was diagnosed with costochondritis. I asked my doctor about a lump in my breast. I always had cystic breast so I thought nothing of it. I went to have an ultrasound April 12, 2013. I could tell something was wrong from everyone's actions. A mammogram followed then a biopsy all in the same day. I wasn't expecting all of this. They told me there was calcification present and that I may have cancer. I went home, shocked; not knowing what to think. I felt in my heart it was cancer but I wanted to wait. I went back monday, April 15th and to hear malignant I was shocked not a word came out not a tear shed. I called my aunt, it was her birthday, all I could think was this is not a happy birthday.

I shared with more family and friends and to hear them cry I couldn't bear it. I tried to comfort everyone and telling them "don't worry God got this." It took a very long time for me to cry about it. I was diagnosed with stage 4 bc, Her2 positive. May 11th I began treatment, my tumor was 6 cm and as of today it is now 2.1cm. I am done with chemo as of August and now just continuing on herceptin, perjeta a d Tamoxifen.God is good and I believe he will continue to heal me. I have a wonderful support system that have been here for me since day one. I look to inspire other people around the world.

Shiana Thomas
Chicago, IL

History will not repeat itself!

When I was 10, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and by the time I was 15, she had died. The year was 1977. I often wondered why this tragedy had to happen, but it led me to my first mammogram at 18. My doctors were vigilant, I was vigilant. Then in 2003, my niece discovered a lump in the shower. It was Stage II, Grade III breast cancer, due to her markers and staging, she opted to have a bilateral mastectomy and genetic counseling. No BCRAI or II, but perhaps another gene yet to be assayed. Then, in 2007, my diagnosis of DCIS, 2 lumps in 1 breast, calcifications in the other. I opted for a bilateral mastectomy - no chemo or radiation. I sought the opinions of my nieces docs at Sloan Kettering and opted for surgery at Johns Hopkins - due to the pathology team. Pathology is everything and I wanted the best. Now I know why tragedy struck, because without those early mammograms for comparison, doctors couldn't have caught the minute changes happening in my breast. Diligence saved my life, saved my nieces life - early detection is now my motto! So go get those tatas checked ladies, and get them checked often! Thank you mom for giving me life twice, but I still miss you. Hopefully, our genes will help find a cure!

Jacki Weise
Takoma Park, MD

Better for the journey

In April 2011, two months after having a complete exam, including a clear mammogram, I was diagnosed with bilateral Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma, stage 2 and 3. I had 9 medical appointments, 6 scans, a port implanted, and chemo started within a 3 week period of time. I clung to my faith in God and in His ability to heal me from this cancer. I knew He loved me and had called me to be a wife, mother, social worker, and now cancer survivor. After six months of chemo over the summer of 2011, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. My oncologist explained that even though the post chemo MRI had revealed "no signs of residual malignancy found", that post surgery labs revealed that about a third of the tumor and 7 lymph nodes still positive for cancer had survived the chemo. He sent me to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion, but I already knew that I would do the second round of a different chemo that he had recommended. After returning home from Mayo, we discovered that I had also developed a very rare infection in my chest wall. I was in extreme pain. This resulted in fluid being drained off of my chest multiple times, two more surgeries, and me abandoning reconstruction in Dec. 2011. Beginning in January 2012, I took 6 months of antibiotics (6 pills/day) and 6 months of a different chemo (8 pills/day) followed by 35 radiation treatments over the summer. I worked 16 out of 18 months of treatment. I would've never made it through this journey without my faith in God, my family, church, friends and coworkers. I am now writing a book about my journey and the importance of understanding the tremendous impact our beliefs and attitudes have on our ability to not only endure such a trial as cancer treatment, but to learn from it and grow through it. I choose to be better, not bitter, and I can now say that I am grateful for the journey. Be blessed and know that you too are an overcomer!!!

Amy
Knoxville, TN

my worst fear confirmed

I was 34 when a lump popped up on my right breast. I just knew it was cancer. I had a biopsy and the cancer had spread to my lymphnodes. I then had 8 rounds of chemotherapy, bilateral mastectomy, expanders put in and then 5 weeks of radiation. After waiting 3 more months I had implants put in. The right one gave me problems and the skin kept getting tighter. My husband and I went on a cruise this July to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. A week after we came back I got really sick. I felt like I had the flu times 10. I went to the hospital the next day and got admitted. I had cellulitis on the right side and was told if I waited any longer I could have died within 12 hrs. I was in hospital for 8 days getting two strong antibiotics through a pic line. I had to get my right implant removed and went home giving myself antibiotic through the pic line. I wouldn't have made it through all this if my husband wasn't there for me. I'm not really sure how I feel about all this exve I'm mad. No-one in my family had this cancer and I don't carry the gene. I'm still fighting. I am in remission and I still get chemo once a month.

Susan Gephart
Louisville, KY

Just the beginning...

My grandma was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 69. Because her mother also had Breast Cancer, I talked to my doctor and began having yearly mammograms. In Sept 2012 I went for my yearly mammogram and all was well. In December 2012, at the age of 40, I noticed a lump in my right breast. Because of the size and because my recent mammogram was clear, I thought it might just be a cyst and if I cut back on caffeine it would go away. I talked to my doctor and he agreed but, made me promise to return in a month if it wasn’t gone.

Pushing this to the back of my mind, I busied myself with work, school, and the birth of our granddaughter.

In July, while getting ready to take a shower, I remembered the lump. My husband felt it and asked me to go to the doctor. I said ok but, he wasn’t convinced. He reached out to my mom and sisters and together they convinced me to go to the doctor, who wasn’t happy with me to say the least. He ordered a mammogram and ultra sound. The results showed a 2.5 cm mass so, I had a biopsy and was told what no one ever wants to hear; you have cancer, stage 3, triple negative, invasive ductal carcinoma.

On August 23rd I started chemo. I’ve completed the bi-weekly A/C treatments and the first of 12 weekly Taxol treatments. The tumor is shrinking. As long as the cancer continues to respond I will have a bilateral mastectomy in January followed by reconstruction.

My grandma's a 9 year survivor and one day soon I want to say I'm a survivor too. I know this is just the beginning of my battle but, I will not give up the fight. This will not break me. God has been so good to me and continues to show me He is with me in this journey and my faith remains strong.

With the continued, positive, support of friends and family, I will beat this!

Jammie Sedwick
Albany, OH

The word "Cancer" scares anyone

I went for my normal mammogram, and thought all was fine, until the called the Dr in and she did a CT scan and said she could see malignant Invasive Ductal carcinoma. And called my PCP immediately. She sent me into Boston. I had 3 lumpectomies they couldnt get margins clear. It had gone into my lymph nodes. It was diagnosed as a stage 3b SITU ductal invasive cancer. Finally after being probed enough I sought another Dr. They suggested a double mastectomy, which should have been done first. I had a bad infection in my right breast from the lumpectomies and had to have the VN every day to pack it before they could even do the operation. After the double mastectomy, I was unable to have reconstrcution because of the depth they had to go. I had chemo and then radiation.Then put on a 5 yr pill "Femara" . I will be done with the 5 yr pill in Dec. I am glad to be alive. Yes I have to admit the 5 yr pill does cause joint and bone pain and other side effects, but so far I have been lucky it has kept cancer away. I try now my best to help other people with Breast cancer to understand or tell them what happened to me and hopefully it might help them. It's a Horrid Disease that needs a "cure" I think Mammograms should also start @ age 30 NOT 40. So many young people get breast cancer. And arent allowed mammograms, unless they pay, until age 40. I encourage Insurance companies and hospitals to let people have them at an early age to save their lives. Bless everyone thats read this. Joyce

Joyce J. Lawson
Whitman, MA

My Journey with Cancer

God works in mysterious ways is something that I have heard often. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was doing my hair after showering and noticed a slight dent in my left breast. When I did a self exam I noticed that I had what felt like a large mass inside my breast. Fast forward to a few days later- My husband and I were getting ready to attend his cousin's funeral. She had passed away at a very young age. He wasn't sure from what. We attended the funeral and I noticed that they buried her in a pinkish casket. I begin to think breast cancer. This was the first time I ever really even thought about it. During the funeral, I sat behind and consoled his aunt that's about in her mid 40's. Fast forward a week later- It was my mom's birthday May 16th 2013, I had my biopsy done. A few days later, I was told I had cancer and it seemed pretty aggressive. From there it seemed like things were a blur. I was scheduled for chemo with plans of surgery and radiation. During one of my chemo treatments, I saw my husband's aunt at the clinic. She also had breast cancer. I was diagnosed with stage 3 her2 + breast cancer. I have successfully completed my chemo (which my body responded so well to that it completely removed the 3 tumors). I recently had my mastectomy and have radiation planned for next month. The good news is that after surgery no cancer was found in the breast or the nodes. This has been the scariest journey that I have ever faced but through it all God has given me a great sense of peace and for that I am thankful.

christy c.
Memphis, TN

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Last year I had redness and itching on my left breast, but had no lumps. My doctor prescribed cortisone cream & ordered a mammogram (which came back normal). The red eventually turned purple, the skin became tighter and the nipple inverted. At my annual check-up this June my doctor ordered an urgent mammogram and ultra sound and this led to urgent biopsies.
On August 1st, at the age of 49, I was told I had Stage IV Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC), something I (and most people) had never heard of. After dealing with the shock of this news I immediately started researching this disease and this is what I found:
Inflammatory Breast Cancer is the MOST AGGRESSIVE type of breast cancer. - Typically NOT detected on mammograms because IBC does not produce the usual lump. - 5 year survival rate is approximately 40%. - IBC is hard to treat mainly due to delays in diagnosis, a physician's lack of expertise in treating IBC, and its resistance to treatment with standard chemotherapy drugs.
To date I have had 4 rounds of chemotherapy and I have 2 more treatments, then surgery and radiation as the cancer has spread to my spine and hip. My oncologist told me he could give me "years and years" but not "decades and decades" however I refuse to give up. I continue to fight with everything I've got, my children are 18 and 16 years old and still need their mom. And I need to be here for their graduations, weddings and babies.

Caroline Smith
Cornwall, Canada

Do A Self-Exam With Your Doctor

In January 2013 I went for my annual exam. My gynecologist was doing a breast exam and stopped. She asked me if I did self-exams which I responded "yes". She then asked me if I knew I had a lump which I responded "no". She put my hand on my left breast and I told her I didn't feel anything. She pushed my hand down harder and then I felt it. It turned out to be Stage 2, but tests showed I didn't need chemo. However, after two attempts the breast specialist couldn't get a clean margin which meant the tumor had finger-like extensions. A mastectomy was recommended and I elected to have both breasts removed. I liked the sound of "no chance" better than a "small chance" of it reoccurring in the other breast.

Now I need to backtrack. Several years ago I weighed over 270 lbs. My gynecologist asked me if I would ever consider gastric bypass surgery. I was shocked because I didn't understand the surgery. A few years back I was 49. My mom was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 50. Doctors repeatedly told me I was a prime candidate. My mom died at 67 from complications and my children never knew her. I was scared and decided to have gastric bypass surgery. I lost 140 lbs. When I was diagnosed in January, both my gynecologist and breast specialist told me we could be having a different conversation at a much later date. If it weren't for the weight loss, I would probably be walking around undiagnosed with a growing tumor.

Ladies, please see your doctor every year, do an exam with your doctor to make sure you're doing it right, and don't skip your mammogram. I did self-exams, but I wasn't pressing hard enough. It's been a rough year, but the worst is over for me. I'm almost done with the reconstruction. I owe my gynecologist for my life two times. First for suggesting the gastric bypass and second for finding the lump.

I'm a lucky girl!

Peggy Engman
Monterey Park, CA

'Dana's Fight, Our Fight' A wonderful community coming together to support my family and I during my battle with Breast Cancer.

It was June 16th, 2013 the day before my fathers funeral when I went to the doctors to have a suspicious lump checked out on my left breast. While helping with the funeral arrangements I was going to reschedule my doctors appointment but my family urged me to go. Going into the appointment I was convinced it was a clogged duct. I left convinced it wasn't. Hearts continued to break. Dealing with the tragic death of my father, I couldn't bare the thought of any more bad happening to my family. 7 weeks later, I had to accept I'd been diagnosed with stage 3, Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) & Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). I had to quickly come to terms with the fact that I was 30 years old, a single mother, with breast cancer.
Due to the aggressiveness of the cancer and my young age, I made the brave decision to undergo a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. While healing from surgery I began chemotherapy, which will last 6 months. Reconstruction will last 12-24 months. During my mastectomy, several lymph nodes were cancerous & removed. Pathology reports determined all the cancer was not removed & is still in the lining of my left breast tissue yet. I will undergo radiation for 6-9 months after Chemotherapy. As a single parent, sister, daughter, & friend I've found more inner strength & hope than I knew ever existed. I've never fought so hard before but with my community & loved ones coming together & supporting me, I've realized I'm not fighting this battle alone. My 2 amazing sisters, cousin & family friend put together their 1st fundraiser ever for me called 'Dana's Fight, Our Fight' & raised over $30,000 for financial help while I'm unable to work. 350-400 people attended the event. I've never been so proud to have such a loving, caring family & community come together to fight this battle along side of me. I'll continue fighting for my life & with the support I've received I'll be able to fight cancer with my positive, optimistic, smiling face in tact.

Dana Nowland
Sauk City, WI