I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 33 years old. It seemed like a nightmare at the time but now 15 years later, I am enjoying life to its fullest as a grandmother of five!
After I found my lump, two different doctors said the same thing to me. "99.9% sure it is nothing." One doctor said, "Let’s just wait and check it again in a few months". The second opinion said, "Yes, we can wait and worry about it for three months or we can just remove it now." I am sure glad we decided to remove it as the lump turned out to be malignant. I had a lumpectomy and an ancillary dissection. No lymph nodes were impacted but the results of the lymph nodes removal has left me with lymphedema in my right arm. It serves as a constant reminder of how fortunate I am to still be alive and well.
Since I was only 33 at the time when I found the lump, I thought the surgery would be sufficient to treat the cancer. It was a small lump and since it had not spread to my lymph nodes I thought I would not have to go through any further treatments. However, I underwent six months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation. Now, as others go through this recovery process I find myself not giving them sympathy but instead empathy. I have been there and know what they are going through. I believe this in itself is a gift from God…being able to comfort others that are now going through what I went through. God works in mysterious ways and I am so thankful that He is using me.
Tempe, AZ
