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Dee

My beautiful niece Dee has been through so much in the last 4 plus years. She had her first ordeal with breast cancer 4 years ago at age 33 and now she has to battle it once again. She choose at age 37 to have a double masectomy. She is now undergoing chemo and has lost her hair for the second round! She is a loving devoted mommy of 6 kids 2 of them under the age of 10. I just ask for prayers for her full recovery and want to thanks her for being such a loving and brave woman.

I wrote a pome about cancer and would like to share it...

"Silent Killer!"
It comes on with little to no warning;
It strikes any age!
It's not particular to your gender;
Cancer, the silent killer!
It hides in the crevices of ones body;
It baffles the mind.
It comes as quick as over night;
Cancer, the silent killer!
It has no cares;
It survives on ones doom!
It only brings gloom;
Cancer, the silent killer!

But with much research we can put an end to this silent killer wether it kills the hopes and dreams of those whom get it or even worse. Lets pray for a full cure for all!

Melinda T
San Diego, CA

If Your Mammogram Shows Something Negative - BE POSITIVE!

I woke up this morning...A SURVIVOR by the grace of God!

Get that mammogram! I didn't--waited too long; however, even though a tennis-ball sized mass was found by CT scan, followed by a "soft-compression" mammogram and the films were "negative"...I AM COMMITED TO REMAINING POSITIVE!

Remain Positive even if there are negative findings!

In the picture during IV infusion in the chemo room: Head Chemo Nurse Jan, Medical Assistant Rebecca, myself (Fighting Like a Girl), and the most wonderful oncologist in the whole wide world Dr. Charles Eisenbeis of the Cancer Centers of North Carolina - Cary, NC

Cynthia
Garner, NC

Everyone has an Angel!

I am 52 years young. When I was 35 years old and in Radiology school, I car pooled with a good friend. She pestered me everyday from the day I turned 35 to have my baseline mammography. After months of harrassment I had it done. they called me into their office and said that their was a cluster of calcifications and they should be biopsied. So I opted for a needle localization because I figured they would then be taking out the area. They did and the margins were clean, and it was insitu. I was followed for the next 2 years and with a mammo they found another cluster on the other breast. I was in Nuclear Medicine school at the time. It was biopsied and it was the same. At that point it was my choice to have bilateral mastectomies, I took a month off from school and did what I had to do. My son was only 4 and I was a single mother, and today I am a 15 year survivor. My angel was my friend who harped on me to have my mammo, and I loved her very much. She passed away last year from a very rare cancer that was hard to diagnose. by the time they did it was too late, but she fought and fought hard every day. I thank God for sending her to me. But I think that early detection is the key, so don't wait , go get the mammo.

I work in Nuclear Medicine now and I do believe that I have been some of my patients Angel.

P.E.A.
Manahawkin, NJ

May 19.

My mother died long ago on May 19, 2000.I cant stop thinking of her, things like would she be proud, that im 18 ive grown up so much. all that i can do is cry, and think of her. its a good thing im doing this or so I like to tell myself that, because i do so badly want to remember everything. her smile, eyes, heartbeat, touch. just every little thing you could ever think of. I want. I need this woman to come back, for me to wake up and it be just a bad dream, although i know it can never be that way, ill always hope for something like it. She was my life my everything. the guidance i need now more than anything. i love her, so much. and miss her everyday of every second. Shes never left my heart nor soul not even for a second. My mind clustered with things of her, things i push and strive to keep back. Final Fantasy 7 has been my favorite game ever ive been ploaying it sincee i was really little. In the Advert Children movie theres always a part that makes me cry and its when cloud says, "But i let you die.." that part always makes me think of my mother, because even so young i did nothing to help. But maybe being there was enough, I love my mother...and i miss her like crazy...
My mother was close enough to being perfect than any i know.
She was angel, a true angel....

Amanda Saint
Cullman, AL

Second Anniversary AND I'M STILL HERE!

Praise the Lord! I celebrated my 51st birthday yesterday and also the 2nd anniversary of the CT scan that revealed my breast cancer. (Stage IV Metastatic ductal carcinoma)

I'm still here! And, it's almost time for the next mammogram and hoping that the mass is smaller and no more are detected.

Go get 'em girls!

Cynthia
Garner, NC

Life is not forever, but LOVE is...

Joanne Campbell, wife, friend and mother of three beautiful daughters lost her courageous 2 year battle with breast cancer on September 22, 2008 at age 49. Jo passed away just 6 days before our oldest daughter was to be married. She was no doubt looking down on her family on the day of the wedding. Jo fought and endured the treatment regimen of Stage IV bc, knowing the realistic prognosis. She did this with great courage, love, sacrifice, commitment and above all, selflessness. The last 2 years of our short 30 year life together were probably the best. Jo lived life to the fullest and she acknowledged the blessing of each important milestone she experienced during this challenging 2 years. During Jo's battle we walked in honor of her for 2 years at the Lowell General Hospital TeamWalk for CancerCare annual event. On May 17th, 2009, we walked not only in her memory but also to support the lives of many patients being treated at this wonderful community based Cancer Center. The life improving services provided to these courageous women and men enduring their treatments is a direct result of the caring and loving concern by the community as well as the patients and caregivers that participate in the event. Although my wife lost her battle, she never gave up the fight and my daughters and I will continue her inspirational fight by continuing to help support the lives of the local community. Jo's LOVE will indeed last forever. To all those suffering with this disease as well as the caregivers that support them, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Kevin Campbell
Chelmsford, MA

My Best Friend

For 42 years I was lucky enough to have the same best friend. I called her Chrissy, to everyone else who loved her, she was Eileen, which was her real name. For 20 of those 42 years, she battled breast cancer. She was a real trooper. Raising 2 boys by herself, which isn't easy when you're healthy! Working full-time until about 3 years ago when she reluctantly realized that she had to slow down. She had 3 younger sisters, and after these girls lost both parents to this horrible disease,
Chrissy made it her job to keep everyone together as a family, not easy when the family core is gone. Making sure holidays, birthdays, and anything else important, were spent together. It was about 8 months ago that her body began to react negatively to all it had gone through. Radiation, chemo, more chemo, a different chemo, more radiation, more chemo... and there she was, still caring for all those around her, she never let herself come first, no matter how hard we tried to care for her. My brave, beautiful, best friend lost her fight at 7:25 am, today, May 18, 2009. Please, whoever may read this, just take a minute to wish her well on her journey. Thank you.

Chrissy, I love you tons and always.

Boo

Arlene Sanborn
Vallejo, CA

My Mother

My Mother was Wendy English and she lost her fight to breast cancer. She had breast cancer on and off for about six or seven years. I was eleven years old when she died and i was lucky. My dad let me spend the last two weeks of her life with her in Boston. She was an amazing mother and my best friend. She loved me with all of her heart and she was so sad when she wasnt able to take part in the avon walk for breast cancer in 2006. She died on April 17th 2006 at the age of 42 and it broke my heart. iIwas so angry at everyone for letting and 11 year old girls mother die of an awful monster that took over her body. Now i see that i cant change that, but i can do my part to try to not have any other little girls lose there mom, or anyone for that matter. I want to support the cure for breast cancer as much as i can. I own so many things from the breast cancer store. I am 14 years old now, and im ready to help people fight breast cancer for my mother.

Tori
Pleasantville, NY

MY STORY

Devastated when i discovered a lump in my left breast i thought life was over .There followed a mastectomy(seemed to be the normal thing in those days) I was 42 years old and it was 1982. the trauma was the worst thing really as i had had no pain.No treatment was required i was told.About 2 years later i found another lump, same place so i underwent radiotherapy.All seemed well until 7 years later i found another lump in my right breast which again was malignent.A mastectomy followed after which i had chemotherapy.I took tamoxifen for over 5years. I am now aged 68 and although the trauma was difficult to deal with iwas lucky to have a good family and friends to help me through.
I thought i would share my story with you as when i first had cancer at 42 years old i was introduced to an old lady (in the hospital actually) who had gone through breast cancer 20 years before and had survived (she was in hospital for a completely different problem) Her story gave me hope and i seemed able to carry on more easily.
I hope i do the same for someone out there going through the same as i did I actially feel quite blessed in a funny kind of way .There can be life after breast cancer -- i am here to prove it. Good luck!

pat rimmer
southport england, United Kingdom

It can happen to anyone...

April 2007... I had my prescription for my annual mammogram in my wallet for close to a year the paper was looking worn and being due for my annual gyn appt and not wanting to get told about not going I thought I better get this done. Two mammograms, ultrasound and biopsy later, going for my appt to get my results that surely were 98% looking like nothing I was told "I didn't think I'd be telling you this but you have breast cancer... not one but two types. My thoughts were "I must be in the wrong room... not me.. no history, no health problems,etc.... I don't want to be in the "pink club" no thanks.."
After digesting this info... making appts with oncologists, surgeons, etc and wanting "this out of me as soon as possible" I had bilateral mastectomies at age 45.... (i dont need them anyway , right!) lucky for me... all lymph nodes were negative and after multiple scans no mets.not feeling whole for a year I decided to have reconstructive surgery last May...
Now being a survivor.. I can see the reason for the "pink club".... for anyone that has not lived this, I wish you never do.. but I have now put myself on a mission to assure everyone I know and don't know get your annual mammogram and do not wait as this can be caught and corrected!!

Anonymous
Sweet Valley, PA

Dee