Share Your Story

New Look at Life

On October 1st I found a lump, went for mammogram, ultrasound and a biopsy and it was a malignant tumor with spread to lymph nodes. I was shocked and dismayed and part of my concern was my daughter's wedding 11 weeks away. I didn't want to overshadow her happiness. It's different for a daughter... more than a box to check on forms, it's a threat to health....a feeling that Dad and brother can't understand.

Blessed with access to great healthcare, insurance, sick leave and friends/family to pray and support, I began treatment. Chemo 1st and bilateral mastectomies in April. The tumor has shrunk; advantage of doing chemo 1st is I know it works and hopefully has picked up the little cells that might be floating around. Why surgery? No breasts = no breast cancer. Besides, at 57 I'm looking forward to perky replacements! I'll have 6 weeks of radiation and chemo (every 3 weeks) for a year. I might get hair again next fall and I hope it will be an improvement on what I lost!

It's hard to call cancer a blessing....but it definitely gives you a new look at life....every day. I think and act differently. I don't want to miss a thing and I want to make sure my family and friends know how much I love and appreciate them. I take better care of myself. I share my faith more openly because God has held my hand every step of this journey.

I pray for a cure, for myself and especially for young mothers in treatment with me. May God bless everyone who has cancer, had cancer, will get cancer, and all those in their lives. My calm and optimism come directly from the Lord. I rejoice each day I awaken and arise. I am blessed.

Jeanne Gant
Leesburg, VA

3.5 Years surviving

I admired Belina Emmett as an Actor/singer and was devistated when I first heard she had breast cancer, my world was rocked more when on the 11th Nov 2006 she lost her battle, this was the same time that I was being diagnosed with the same.

I also lost a friend in the same year to breast cancer, and learnt that another also had been diagnosed and now it was my turn to fight.
When I first went to the doctor to investigate a lump he asked me if I was concerned, I quickly answered no, as there was not any immediate history in my family. We can never assume that it is nothing, and luckily for a majority of women it is nothing , but we can't just pass it off, a simple mamogram can save a life.

We can't say how this will affect us or if it will win but we all can all stand proud and united to fight this.

I am proud to be part of a voice that once was hushed.

Karen Hardwick
Melbourne, Australia

My Journey to Life!

My name is Maria and I am a survivor, Oct of 2006 I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 35. How I found out was my doctor ask me if I ever had a baseline mammogram done. I never knew that existed and when my doctor explained it was for women under 40 to get checked out early, I told my doctor that I would have it done. Well I lost the first prescription given to me, so when I went for my annul exam she asked me about the baseline, I explained how I lost the paper and she wrote me up a new one. And this time I went.

I had my mammogram done and they found something. I remember this day like yesterday, I was at work and my doctor called and told me she had good and bad news. I was like " Oh no! whats wrong?" She told me, I had breast cancer that was the bad part, but the good news was, it was caught pre-cancer. I was given my option on what I wanted to do. All I could do was cry and then I got myself together and said I want this out of my body.

On January 9, 2007 I had a tram-flap done. I don't regret anything the surgery I chose, I am glad my cancer was caught on time and I am glad I was able to have reconstruction. If it wasn't for that baseline mammogram I probably would be in the late stage.

It is now Feb. 2010, I am here and in remission. I get to see my grand baby be born in Aug. of 2010. I am so excited!!!!

Maria
Kissimmee, FL

A Whole New Life!

I was diagnosed with breast cancer two years after I found my birth-aunt and she told me "we have breast cancer in the family, make sure you get checked!" I switched to annual mammograms and there it was, one of those years I would not have been checked. The 8mm lump was dead center and very aggressive (5 weeks later it was 1cm). A lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation (and 8 months of my life) later, I found myself starting over.
Every day is a gift, every person a shining star, every moment a new beginning. Cancer was an epiphany and a new beginning!

Barbara
Napa, CA

Surprise! Surprise!

I had routine mammogram done July of 2008 & everything came back normal. The following January I was doing a routine self exam & found a lump above my left nipple. I really had thoughts of ignoring it since just 6 months earlier I had a normal mammogram but thought better of it & made an appointment with my doctor who scheduled me for a mammogram and ultrasound. I had both procedures done & anxiously awaited the results. I get a call from my doctor saying that the lump was actually a metalic foreign object that had calcified to form the lump & that it was nothing to worry about. I told my doctor that I did want this "foreign" object in my breast & asked him to refer me to a surgeon. Months later I saw the surgeon and we decided that he would simply freeze the area, make a small incision and "pop" the lump out. The procedure did not go as smoothly as he thought it should & he ended up having to cut out alot of what he thought was scar tissue - never once actually seeing a foreign metal object. He sent the tissue for a biopsy.

Three weeks later we find out it was cancer. I had a further wedge resection and sentinal lymph node removal 3 days later. Thankfully the cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes but still underwent 21 sessions of radiation.

I am thankful that I persisted and was my own advocate for my own well being. I know I still have a long road ahead of me having to under-go breast exams every 3 months and mammograms every year as well as having to take Tamoxifen for the next five years.

Debra Dube
Kitchener, Canada

Up their bums! prove them wrong!!!

They said I was bad, that I may not make it, they scared me out of my wits, but they were wrong, they said it would be back, they have been wrong - believe in yourself not what they say, it has now been 7 years and I feel great, I am alive and free from the mungrel, my onc still things it all a miracle, I am a miracle and so will you be!

Anonymous
Sydney, Australia

SURVIVOR

I'm sorry I don't have a photo to share but I do have my life back & a wonderful support group thru Northwest Hospital Breast Cancer Ctr. in Randallstown Maryland. I have been a survivor for 2 years & counting & so very happy to be here.............. love all of you dearly,

Nicki

Nicki
Windsor Mills, MD

The Best

Having the Lord in my life and a wonderful husband who was with me all of the way never letting me forget how important I am, making me laugh when I didn't feel like it and holding me and crying with me when I needed too.

Thank you Lord for blessing me with this wonderful man!! Thank you Lord for being in my life.

anita
New Tazewell, TN

I never knew what a hero was until my mom became one

My name is Mary and I'm 20 years old. I am Korean American, and was adopted by the most wonderful woman in the world, but before My mom was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago I took her for granted. I got angry at her like any teenage girl would and sometimes wished she wasn't my mom. Then she told be she was sick that Christmas and my world came crashing down. It wasn't til then did I realize how important my mom really was or how strong she was.

You never know how strong you are until you have to be. Not once did my mom complain about having cancer or want people to have pity on her. Sure, she cried when she saw the scars, and she had to humble herself enough to let me play nurse for her and change her bandages and empty her drain after surgeries, but not once did she lose faith that she was going to beat this. She always said "Do not pity me because I have cancer, be happy that I'm still here fighting it"

After she was diagnosed she underwent surgery to remove one breast, the next Christmas she had the other removed, and that 3rd Christmas we were told it had come back, so she underwent her third surgery to have the underlying chest wall muscles and lymph nodes removed, then proceeded with treatment. February 3rd 2010 was her last treatment. After 4 bouts of chemo, 52 weekly infusions of herceptin she's done.

My mother has the biggest heart, loving me as her own flesh and blood, giving up everything to see me get ahead and being my inspiration to become an Oncology Nurse. She is my Hero <3

I believe in the cure.
Keep Fighting

Mary
Allendale, MI

I Fight like a girl!

My goodness, where do I start. First of all my name is Missy. I am now 29 years old. I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer when I was 24. It was exactly one month after I married my high school sweatheart. We had been together for nine years, already had our two bundles of joy. We were about to start our married life together and before we could even take our honeymoon my life was flashed before our eyes.

One day a lump popped up in my right breast, one so big you couldnt help from feeling it. It wasnt that I was doing my self exams and found someting sucpicious, it literally was protruding out of my skin.Being that my grandmother and great aunt were survivors it was a big red flag. I know this sounds cliche but I knew from the moment i felt it that it was CANCER.

I couldnt tell you what when on for the next few weeks, its all big blur. Chemo, Radiation, double masectomy....the list goes on. I started a very aggressive regimine that Standiford called for. It was 2 years of chemo, surgery, radiation, herceptin....you name it I did it.....but my family and my children got me through every moment. Each time I felt like giving up, I'd close my eyes and see my precious babies faces.

People would say "wow your so strong, I couldnt do what your doing"...and my response was..sure you can. You have no alternative but to fight...fight for your life...fight to show the world....fight like a girl!!

Missy Diamant
tracy, CA