Think Pink: T: terrific,H:hornorable,I:insperational,N:nice,K:kind,P:possitive,I:intelligant,N:nobel,K:knowledgeable, this is the way I think of breast cancer women. They are true warriors and dersive all your love and support. help them to get the word out. listen to them, they can save you alot of pain. live hard, love ofter and love always, check yourself and think pink.
In the summer of 2008, was 37 years old. I had a wonderful husband, a 3 year-old son, and a new home. I also had five tumors in my right breast and positive lymph nodes. Stage 3 Breast Cancer.
By the end of 2008, I had gone through a bi-lateral mastectomy, 4 months of chemo, 7 weeks of radiation, reconstructive surgery, a post-operative infection and early menopause due to chemo. I felt like I aged 20 years. I felt ugly, worn out, and ravaged by this disease. But I was determined to be a survivor and not a victim.
I lost a lot: my breasts, my youth, my hope of having more children, and my home due to medical bills. But I gained more. I now know the value of each sunrise, and what it feels like to have your loved ones rally to support you. I know how important it is to believe in yourself. I know that cancer is an enemy that we need to fight with all the tools we have available to us, including medicine, awareness and perserverence. Most of all, I gained self-respect. I know now that I can survive anything.
I am a survivor, not a victim and I hope everyone diagnosed with Breast Cancer can someday say the same.
some times in life it seems like your life sliping away
each time october comes, around i do remember my mom
and, i cannot never ever forget what she been through
i know there at so many women out their, and right here on our island st maarten in the caribbean, we are doing things, like walkaton, but some
time, we wait until october to start speaking about it, we have to speakup more and get the world in volve becuase some people think snice it's never happen to me its not my busniess but its all our busniess.
to all the ladies be strong in the Lord and know his able
to the family please be strong,
my mom she, was just 58 year old young and full of life.
no matter what please remember GOD loves you ALL.
PLEASE BE STRONG IN THE LORD.
For 43 years we were together and we were friends. During that 43rd year, I (girl in the middle) was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a mastectomy, reconstruction etc and SURVIVED. My friend of 43 years (girl on the right) was also diagnosed with cancer, liver cancer for which she would NOT SURVIVE. NO, CANCER DIDN'T RUN IN EITHER OF OUR FAMILIES. But as my surgeon told me, someone has to be first in the family and that person is you - wasn't I lucky?!? The point of my story is that breast cancer can be detected early and if I hadn't gone for my annual mammogram, I may not be here either. PLEASE GO ANNUALLY FOR YOUR MAMMOGRAM !
After months of severe neck pain, medication, and physical therapy, my PCP, Dr. Wendy Gaines suggested I consider a breast reduction. I had 6.5 pounds removed from each breast and absolutely LOVED my new look!
Two weeks later I received a telephone call from Dr. Dan Driscoll, my plastic surgeon, informing me that I had DCIS in the right breast. I also had LCIS and some invasive cancer in the left breast. I was VERY surprised after having had a mammogram 5 months earlier. My Mom had BC and 4 of her siblings died of cancer. Within 10 months I had 5 surgeries ... double mastectomy, complete hysterectomy, reconstruction, etc.
I often wonder ................
What if Dr. Gaines had not urged me to have the reduction ???
It would have been another 7 months of cancer growing in BOTH breasts .... would the following mammogram have detected it then???
I clicked because my nan died of cancer at just 65yrs of age and back then they did not have all the resorces they have now my mum donates to cancer research as it has come along way since my nan died of cancer its such a shame really as I have friends and their nans are still alive and mine is not i dont really remember my nan but i can recall one memory when she was ill the cancer had got bad she was in bed an i came to see her i was about 6yrs old and she gave me this orange teddy bear which i still have today an after she died she left my family rosary beads each and medals each its such a shame she is not here now i miss her dearly and wish i new more about her but i no she is looking down on the family an would be proud of her daughter for bringing up 3 wounderful girls on her own and would be soo proud of her 3 grandaughters and i believe she is looking after us always sharing our lifes sharing the memory of wen my sisters baby Grace came into the world and she was a miracle as my sister could not give birth natually and she had 2 wombs so each time she got pregnant she sadly misscarried but then she had mirical Grace an i believe that my nan sent her down from heaven for us
I was told I had grade 3 breast cancer on Xmas eve 09, had 5x surgery and chemo, cancer returned within 2 weeks of finishing chemo, now having radium. All involved where amazed at my gremlins fast aggressive return.....but thanks to support of family & friends, I WILL win! I'm 36 and it's not in my family, please be aware ladies.
RECENTLY MY SISTER TAMMY WAS DIGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. A FEW MONTHS AGO SHE HAD SURGERY TO REMOVE A TUMOR .JUST RECENTLY SHE STARTED CHEMO.
I HAD THE CHANCE TO GO VISIT HER AND SPEND 10 DAYS WITH HER,SHORTLY AFTER HER SURGERY. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 8 YRS THAT WE SPENT TIME TOGETHER! SO OUR TIME TOGETHER WAS VERY SPECIAL. ALTHOUGH LEAVING WAS DIFFICULT;(SHE'S IN PA. I'M IN WI).
I CAN HONESTLY SAY HER AND I HAVENT ALWAYS BEEN THAT CLOSE. NOW THAT'S SHE'S BEEN DIAGNOSED,HER AND I HAVE GOTTEN SO MUCH CLOSER! WHICH I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT. I TELL HER ALL THE TIME HOW SHE'S MY HERO. AND SHE TELLS ME I'M HER LIL' BRAT (I'M THE BABY OF THE FAMILY).
HER AND I KEEP IN TOUCH MORE OFTEN AND SHE SENDS ME PICS.I CANT BELIEVE HOW DIFERENT SHE LOOKS SINCE STARTING CHEMO.BUT SHE'LL ALWAYS BE BEAUTIFUL TO ME NO MATTER WHAT.
TAMMY, MY SIS - AS THE SONG SAYS; "YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL TO ME"! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
My sister Eileen told me there were spots on her mammogram that she was getting a procedure for. I told her don't worry our family doesn't get cancer. I was wrong Eileen did have cancer. She had 2 spots and still managed to joke with me about it, saying that she was so small that they might as well just take the breast. Surgery was set for Oct 14th, 2008. She was upset that her Belize trip would have to be postponed. She felt good and it was hard to believe that this fast growing deadly cancer was in her.
Surgery was on our dad's birthday. At 81 his girlfriend drives him when he goes out of town. She was not feeling well that day, so our dad drove over the mountains by himself the 2 hours to be with Eileen for this surgery. Eileen's surgery went well.
Kathleen, another sister of ours, came to Eileen's the day after surgery to help wash her hair as Eileen wasn't able to raise her arm. Kathleen found Eileen cleaning house. The rest of us sisters, we are 5 sisters, come to Eileen's, She is being the gracious host as always and feeding us. She seems so fine that it is hard to tell that she just had surgery. She jokes with us that since 1 in four get cancer, she took this one for the sisters. She is too much.
Eileen is a perfect happy ending story for breast cancer awareness month. If she did not do her yearly mammogram and follow up quickly on the spots, she could have had a much tougher time with it and we could have lost her. Eileen did gret to Belize the following May and will live to tell her grandchildren about it.
Two lumpectomies, 6-1/2 weeks of radiation and two years later, I tell every woman I meet to GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM - it saved my life and it can save yours, too. May God bless all those who have suffered so much with breast cancer - for all the loved ones lost and those battling every day to survive - YOU ARE MY HEROES :-)
