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I'm lucky

One morning while waiting for the shower to get hot, for some unknown reason, I felt my right breast. I went right to a big hard knot. I knew that it didn't feel right. I did wait a week before I called my doctor (thinking it was nearly time for my period so maybe that was the problem). Two days after I called my doctor, I had an appointment for a mammogram. That same day, I had an ultrasound and a biopsy. Two days later, I heard the words you don't want to hear "you have breast cancer". Well, I only had to have a lumpectomy and only two lymph nodes were removed which were normal. I am going through radiation now and should be finished by July 15th. I'm not letting this change my life. I continue to exercise and do everything I did before. I just want to say, get check ups and mammograms. Also, feel your breasts - I never thought I would feel anything and I never checked them regularly but I'm soooo glad I did that morning of March 8th.

Emily McReynolds Burnsed
Amarillo, TX

One year ago today

One year ago today, July 3rd 2009, I was diagnosed with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma. I was 43 years old and a wife for 19 years and a mommy for our four children ages, 17, 14, 10 and 18 months. We had lost our stillborn daughter in 2007. I had gone for my yearly well-women check and got the thumbs up that everything looked good. Four days later I felt a strong impression that I needed to do a breast exam . I found a lump in my left breast. This past year has been very difficult. However, it has been a year filled with blessings and life lessons that I could not get any other way. I had 6 rounds of chemo (TAC). That was followed by a bi-lateral mastectomy (cancer was found in both breasts). I had many complications following my bi-lateral. I ended up in the hospital for 6 weeks and nearly lost my life. I'm doing all that I can do to regain my health again so that I can be prepared for reconstruction surgery in the fall...after we take our daughter to college. I have completely changed my eating habits. I'm doing yoga and reading everything that I can get my hands on to become a stronger person. I still have a long road ahead, but I know that I will continue to be blessed by my Heavenly Father, family and friends. It may seem crazy to say this, but I think that breast cancer was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. My family and I are so much stronger, love and appreciate life and each other so much more and have been blessed through the most difficult of times.

Joy Winn
Rowlett, TX

Breast cancer

Last march at the age of 36 years old i was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was such a shock for me at this early age. In March i did the lumpectomy operation and the doctor said that he found 3 out of 8 effected lymph nodes so i had to go through chemotherapy. I started chemo last April. I had 3 cycles of Fec and 3 cycles of Taxotere which i am finding it very very hard. I even spent a week in hospital cause of the white cells that went so down that i had a big infection and i had to have very strong antibiotics through the vein. Now later this month I will be having my last cycle of taxotere and later in august i will have to go through radiation.
It was awful especially for my mother and father and all the family. But you cannot give up you still have to fight.
Well let us hope everything will be alright and pray for all the cancer patients to give them hope and not give up. God will be with us all.

Stephanie Azzopardi
Mellieha, Malta

Be Your Own Advocate

In August 2001, a year after my Mom had passed away as a result of metastatic melanoma (skin cancer), I felt some pain under my arm. I felt to see what was going on and discovered a lump. I figured I had some type of glandular infection and scheduled an appointment with my primary care doctor.
She did a breast exam, suggested I take vitamin E and see her in 3 weeks. After the Vitamin E, the pain disappeared but the lump was still there. She ordered a mammogram. Three weeks later, she told me the mammogram did not show anything and she didn't think the lump was anything. She also said she didn't think it "felt like cancer."
The experience in taking care of my Mom taught me to be my own advocate. I told my Doctor that I didn't think she really had felt the lump that I was talking about. Then I put her hand on it. She immediately referred me to a surgeon for an ultrasound and possible biopsy.
The surgeon also said she also didn't think it "felt like cancer", but scheduled an ultrasound. After the ultrasound I had an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy.
FIFTEEN days after the biopsy, I was told that I had breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and lymph node disection (17 lymph nodes removed but only 3 had cancer) in Dec. 2001, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. I had aggressive cancer... invasive ductal carcinoma.
Although I've had numerous biopsies since my surgery, they have all been benign.
I'm in my NINTH YEAR as a cancer survivor!!
I've also walked the Breast Cancer 3-Day four times!
I am confident that God led me to find the cancer. I'm so thankful that I pushed for a biopsy! BE YOUR OWN ADVOCATE!!!

Anonymous
San Diego, CA

My journey

My journey started in july of 07 when I felt a lump under my left arm.. The lump was so hard to find, I had to guide the drs fingers to show her.. I had a lumpectomy and the results showed breast cancer, the dr said it had been growing for over 3 years, I was 31 yrs old.. I decided to have a double masectomy.. During surgery, the dr took 11 lymph nodes to test and 10 came back positive.. I started chemo and did that with radiation.. During radiation, I had a rash come up on my chest and belly.. After trying over the counter stuff, the dr done a biopsy and it came back positive for cancer which means it had spread to my skin.. So I had to start chemo all over again.. That was in 08.. Its 2010 and im still fighting.. Im currently on my 2nd trial drug cause I found out that I was triple negative as well.. I just started this chemo and the first one has kicked my butt.. I know its been a hard long battle but God has held my hand through it all and He continues to do so everyday.. He is the reason im still here and im grateful.. Im living for my wonderful husband who has supported me through this rollercoaster and my two beautiful children who I just adore..

Sara
Middlesboro, KY

I am a survivor

In october 2008 i went for a momogram. I new something wasn't right. It hurt on my left breast. So i wasn't surprised when they called me and told me they needed to do more testing. Around thanksving time i went for a biopsy. They didn't feel that it was cancer. Well they were wrong. It was cancer. My doctor called me on Dec. 1 and told me i had cancer. On December 18,2008 I had a double mastecomy. I do not regret that at all. I was 43yrs old. I have a husband and 2 children. I wanted to live. I didn't care if i had breast. I just wanted to be here with my family. I did reconstruction. I wish sometimes that i hadn't. Iam stronger than i ever thought. My husband stood by myside and is still by myside. I love him with all my heart. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with bladder cancer 2 months after i was diagnosed with breast cancer. Unfortunatly she did not survive. But she put up a hell of a fight. We have had cancer on both sides of our family. We have lost some and some have survied. Cancer is Evil! I wish we would find a cure and fast. Too many people are losing their battle. I am happy to be alive and with my family. I thank God for this I was lucky. We found it early. I did not have to take chemo or radiation. I will take a pill for the next 5 years. I feel the ones that have gone thru chemo or radition are the true heros. I have seen what people go thru. It's not pretty. . To all the people that have or will go thru cancer i wish you the best..

Chris Quigley
Warren, OH

My Mom's Triumph

In May 2002, at age 73, my mom was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, non-invasive breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy and six weeks (5 days a week) of radiation therapy.

Mom is now 81 years old and remains cancer free. I have a brother and two sisters, and we all treasure each and every day that we have with mom. We love her so much and are very proud of her and the courage it took to fight this disease.

Terri Fleischer
Dalas, TX

My life was turned upside down!!!!!!!

My story is not unusual, like sooo many others I found a lump in my breast while doing a self breast check in the shower. went to dr. and was diagnosed with INVASIVE INTERDUCTAL CARCINOMA. That at the time was a death sentence for me. As I went through chemo and radiation and numerous surgeries, I came out of it needing to find out who I was all over again. To this day I am still rediscovering myself. I guess I always will. This picture is of me and others at the Race for the cure in Utah last year.

Kae Smith
Salt Lake City, UT

Two Very Different Valentine's Day Stories

I was diagnosed with BC in Oct 2003 when I went for my first mammogram. I was 43 years old. My kids were 12 and 14. I was recently remarried when my world came crashing down. My new husband, my kids and his two kids were devastated. Two lumpectomies later my surgeon informed me that I had no options left. I needed a mastectomy. A second opinion verified her prognosis. If I didn't have the surgery I would be in serious trouble within 18 months. So I had the procedure done and came home on Valentine's Day 2004. Then the reconstruction began. Starting with yet another surgery just two weeks after my mastectomy because the tissue around my incision had died. They had to remove the necrosis and replace the expansion implant. We had to start over with the reconstruction. We endured 6 months of weekly visits to my plastic surgeon for expansion, my husband dutifully going with me to every single appointment. I was fortunate. My cancer did not have hormone positive indicators. I did not have to undergo chemo or radiation. They had caught it before it had progressed to my lymph system. They also had no explanation as to why I developed breast cancer. Finally in Aug 2004 I underwent my final surgery to replace the expander with an implant. I had my life back.

This year, for Valentine's Day instead of celebrating 6 years being cancer free, my husband told me that he'd been having an affair for over two years. Two weeks later he left us and moved in with her.

I am a survivor. Of cancer. And infidelity. No he has not come home. I don't expect he will. He would not be welcome. But the worse enemy has been banished.

Carole L. Jones
Richardson, TX

You can never say "that would never happen to me"

I was diagnosed with BC in November 2009. I noticed a change in my nipple so i went to see my GP. After all the tests, mammogram, ultrasound & biopsy I was told a week later that it was breast cancer. I was numb for a few weeks, then after seeing the surgeon and knowing that I had to have a right mastectomy just picked myself up and got on with it.

I had my op in December on my son's 13th birthday and started AC-T chemo once a fortnight on the 5th February. Chemo was tough I must admit! I tried to make sure that when the boys came home from school I was up and pottering around. This didn't happen very often! I lost 7 kg's in 8 weeks as I had constant nausea for the first half of chemo. When I started on the Taxol the bone pain took over the nausea feeling. I'm not sure which one I preferred!!

I have now finished chemo and I have started my 25 sessions of radiotherapy. I finish a week before my 38th birthday.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer has given me a whole new outlook on life. I have realised who are important in my life, which I kind of knew anyway but this journey has proved it. Having positive friends and a supportive family has helped me immensely and I can't thank my husband & my mum enough for being my rocks!

Libby
Perth, Australia