Share Your Story

My daughter-in-law, my courage

My angel Latrice was 31 when she went home to be with GOD, a day before her daughters 8 th birthday. She had so much for othersto give, she was in a breast cancer group and the woman who had survived didn't know shw was so sick. she never complained and always gave GOD the gloey. when she went yhere were so many people tp send her off that we needed another church. My oldest son told the family who were carring on. that if she is going thru it. we have no right to complain. its been 3 years and when we ware our tee shirts, people who she knew way back stop and tell us what a blessing she was.today our family is inspired to stand up to cancer as we now have 2 m2n in the family we have pituarity gland tumors and have developed breast tissue and will need mamogram yearly. they now have a greater resepct for what women go thru. please check your self ,get your mamogram and keep your women in your family safe. do your part.

Lorraine
St. Petersburg, FL

My 45th birthday news

Hi my name is Vanessa and on my 45th birthday I was told those three words no one wants to here....You have cancer. That news was devastating at first.

My journey started about seven months ago when I discovered
a lump in my breast. I went and had a mammogram done and was
diagnosed with a cysts and sent home with anti-inflammatory
and antibiotics. About three weeks later it was bigger and
now starting to hurt really bad so back to the Doctor I went.
This time they decided to do a biopsy and that's where it all
started. The biopsy was done and it came back as ductal carcinoma.
I was referred to a breast specialist and set up for a mastectomy
and reconstruction surg. After it was all said and done I was told
that it wasn't ductal carcinoma it was a High grade Malignant Phyllodes
Tumor.

I have the most wonderful husband without him I wouldn't have made it
through the surgery and recuperation. He has needed a hernia surgery
for the last seven month but told me that he was not about to get anything
done until he knew that I was on my road to recovery. When he finally went in for his surg. six weeks after mine there was more damage that what they anticipated. He is doing well now. My stepson has been the best through allof this. He has been supportive and very patient with the both of us. He is the best stepson any one could ask for.

Those three words have changed my life and if it wasn't for my faith
in God and the love and support of my family I would never be able to get through this.

vanessa
angleton, TX

How breast cancer changed my life for the better

Hi, My name is Patricia Dillon. Tomorrow is my 48th birthday and I wish to share my story in the hope that it will inspire men and women who are diagnosed with this disease to remain positive and hopeful. I was diagnosed with a grade three breast cancer in 2001 at the age of 38, The news was devastating. I am mother to five daughters. At the time of my diagnosis my youngesy child was 18 months old. I had surgery in August 2001. There was some spread to the lymph nodes in the axilla and I was advised to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy during the year which followed. My mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer twenty years previously and had remained strong and resilient. S he is now 81 and celebrates her Golden wedding anniversary this week. She kept me focussed during the treatment and was my inspiration. Two weeks after my surgery I started a teacher training course at my local college and continued to study throughout my treatment. This was a necessary diversion for me and a goal for the end of my treatment. I passed my course and went on to study for my cert ed. I now work full time in my local primary school. Breast cancer is no longer always a death sentence. I was lucky and appreciate that every day. I now have two beautiful grandchildren and a totally different outlook on life. I know that the battle is hard and the fear is immense but I also know that there is hope. I fully understand the need for early detection and treatment. I lost my dear cousin and friend to this disease last year at the age of forty four. I applaud your efforts and fully support you. Trish Dillon (Keighley).

Patricia Dillon
Keighley, United Kingdom

I'm a survivor

January 2008 I heard those dreaded words,"You have stage II breast cancer." I always knew my risk was greater than most & strangely enough,I was prepared. I accepted it & decided to fight it full force. Three weeks after diagnoses I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction. I had 19 lymph nodes removed & tested. Fortunately,they were negative,the cancer had not spread even though it was very aggressive. After 6 weeks of recovery the real fight was to begin,Chemotherapy.I won't lie,it sucked but I got through that too. Four months & eight rounds later I was bald & breastless but I was alive. I think losing my hair was the worst part for me.

Now, almost three years & nine surgeries later I am alive & healthy!! I had to have a hysterectomy since my mom had ovarian cancer & I tested positive for the gene. I feel great now, my hair is back & I am working again. To anyone going through this,you can do it! You are stronger than cancer!!

Christine
Toms River, NJ

Single and Dating after Breast Cancer

I am a Breast Cancer Survivor, one year. Truly, that was the easy part. Finding peace with what brought me to breast cancer and living my life after breast cancer, that's the true story of strength.

It all started with a torturous divorce and the rage ate away at my immune system and cancer was the result. I had a double mastectomy and reconstruction. No chemo, no radiation, no drugs. I have great support. I'm a lucky girl. This was the easy part.

Now I'm a single woman in a sexual universe with a disfigured body looking for love in the world of dating. This is the hard part. This is when you have to truly believe in yourself - when he doesn't call you again after you told him, or he can't understand why you won't let him touch you and he thinks you don't like him, or that you're not even worthy of being loved until your body looks nearly perfect again -- you have to believe that you're still the same loving, giving, fun and sexy girl you were before your breasts were taken off. I look forward to the next first date which could be the 'one". I look forward to being with my kids and friends. Most of all, I look forward to being in love with someone who can see all of me and love what he sees.

I don't have breast cancer anymore so I'm considered a survivor. To me, I'm a person who had breast cancer and is a survivor of life. Each day I survive the voice in the back of my mind that says I may not be loveable this way and I tell myself I'm better than ever. Surviving breast cancer was easy, this is the hard part.

Caren
Fort Lauderdale, FL

My sister, Delila Rucker Sherrow

I lost my sister to breast cancer, she fought the cancer until it got the best of her. I have never seen anyone fight like her, she was a real trooper!! She never gave up. The Dr.s gave her 2 yrs., she made it almost 4, they told her she would be in a wheelchair long befor she was. Dee was a wonderful person, known by many, Her dream was to find a cure for breast cancer, she didn't want anyone in the world to suffer and go through the hell she went through. The families goal now is to fight for a cure, just the way she wanted it!!! If we all pull together, someday soon we can find a cure!!!!

Terena Rucker
Ky, KY

Too young

Boxing day 2007, I was having a shower before going to my mums when I felt a lump the size of a golf ball, it didn't worry me though I just thought, Cyst. I saw the doctor in the new year and she sorted out for a scan, just to be sure.8th January 2008 I had a mammogram and ultra sound, this was when I knew it wasn't a cyst, they called for a doctor to take a biopsy and then started with the questions, it wasn't the type of questions but the way they were asking them. I just knew cancer. I went back a week later, 15th January, Tuesday and had it confirmed I would need a mastectomy, I was 38.
The worst part was telling my sons, Adam 16 (the day after my op) and Lee 9. My motto in life has always been 'What doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger' and I truly do believe that. The team that I was under in hospital were so supportive and kind that it maddens me when anybody disrespects the NHS, even if I had gone private I wouldn't have had better care. I endured 6 months of chemo and fortunately had a good support group with my family and friends. It has been 2 years and thankfully I am still clear. Now I always tell my friends, no matter their age, to check themselves at least once a month, thankfully I did and I'm still here to see my boys grow up.

Linda Dickinson
Manchester, United Kingdom

An Inspiring Friend and Co-Worker!!!

I wanted to share a story of inspiration about a friend and co-worker. Her name is Carole and we work at Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County. Carole was diagnosed with an advanced stage of breast cancer a few months ago (and only two months after her mother was diagnosed). She is a single mother of a daughter in the 3rd grade who never knew anything about her father and the events that took place during the time she was waiting for the diagnosis were very traumatic to say the least. Carole had not told her daughter yet that she might have cancer, but her daughter asked her one evening if she could try to find her father via Facebook. Of course this scared Carole because then all she saw was impending doom. "Was she going to die from this cancer and was this God's way of making sure her daughter was going to be taking care of?" Carole, being the strong and positive person that she is, did not hold that thought for long (minutes maybe, with occasional relapses). After she received the diagnosis, she grabbed it by the horns, and started fighting. She started her chemo treatments and has two left before starting radiation. She has pretty much been a bundle of positive energy and only occasionally lies on the couch in the office just to get a few minutes rest. We are supporting her, and with her positive attitude, we realize we have nothing to complain about because she never complains. She is a good mother, friend and co-worker that we love very much. We recently took a photo with the hospital to honor Breast Cancer Awareness that will be on a billboard in Martinsville, VA. Look for it if you're in town.

Tina Sharpe
Martinsville, VA

Have Faith and Keep Going!

Your life can change with a blink of an eye.
I went for my routine check-up, I thought all was fine, until I listened to a message on my telephone the next day stating he wanted more tests of my chest. So the following day I was off to get a pet-scan. Right after the I went back to the Doctor's office and that's when the hard slap on my face happened..."I have bad news and good news, he said, you have Cancer but it's treatable. Wow, why did I deserve this, I rescue and take care of all types of animals, now who is going to rescue me? I was on the merry-go-round of Doctors. I was never sick a day in my life and the only pills I took were vitamins. I had many tests performed in which the Cancer did not spread. I am very lucky. Next I was admitted to the hospital two separate times for exploratory procedures, which all the results pointed to having my lung removed. I have a very good surgeon and he presented my case in front of a "Tumor Board" and he received opinions from a lot of Doctors and it was remove the lung. Wow...would I be able to breath with only one lung? What was my future going to hold? They really take a toll on one's life...but you got to do what you got to do. I'm a survivor and I'll make it. I remember my last words to the Doctor before the operation...please save my life because I have too many animals that need me, he said, "You'll be fine." The only thing I can figure is that God wants me to do something...I know to save abused and neglected animals, but perhaps, build my animal hospital.

Melanie Zysk
Palm City, FL

My Mom has Breast Cancer

Mom had her yearly mamo and was diagnosed the end of July this year with Stage 2 Breast Cancer. She had a lumpectomy in August. She will have radiation next week and start chemo in October. I know many people that have won and lost their battle with breast cancer. This is very hard to talk about and deal with. I am 30 years old and the oldest of 3. My sister is still in denial and my brother wants me to fix the problem. My dad lost his father to lung cancer when I was 12 years old and recently a very close friend of the family lost her battle with breast cancer. They worked together for over 30 years and he is still dealing with it. I am trying to be strong and take charge and help my parents out with anything they need and be there for my siblings. I never knew I had this much strength in me, but some days are better then others. I trust that the Lord will help us with this journey as we become closer as a family and help mom find the courage to fight. The technology is so advance now but its still scary anytime you hear the words BREAST CANCER. I just pray that everything will be ok. I am blessed to have a wonderful job and great support team at work. I am thankful for our friends and family that have stepped up and are going to help us out and go to mom's radiation next week so that we can take the time off from work when she will have chemo. This is just a terrible nightmare and I want to go to sleep and wake up with the way things used to be.

Kristin Hyder
Charlotte, NC