one october evening(1996) i was showering i felt a lump in my right breast that was not there the day before. wow ! what a mind blower. i was 39 yrs old. i called my md and set up an appointment. after a needle biopsy, he said he couldn't be sure...but i could tell by the look on his face...he knew. off to the radiologist. it was confirmed....stage 2, aggresive & malignant. i did not cry at first...i just told the doc, "well, lets get rid of it !" after 23 yrs of smoking it was not hard to quit. somehow the word "CANCER" made my will to live stronger than my desire to smoke. my biggest concern was how to keep it from my family. i did not want to burden them. my husband was devistated as he lost both parents to cancer. my mother, a human saint, was very strong. my sisters (2) were frantic. november was the lumpectomy and the insertion of a cathater..no veins !! december was the mastectomy. the day after Christmas was the first round of chemotherapy. not too bad i thought...until the second round...had to be sedated from then on. after 6 months of chemo & countless days of wishing for death, i was starting to feel human again ! reconstructive surgery in august 1997. 14 years since that day in october and i feel like a million bucks !! . i cannot begin to express how grateful i am for all the technology and power of prayer that saved my life. i kept a very positive attitude during my illness and the one thing that kept me strong most of all was thinking that someone else was worse off than me, i had no right to complain. yes, i am blessed !!
elaine thomashampton, VA