On January 24, 1990, I had a sharp pain in my left breast. When I pressed down on it, I found a lump. I showed my husband, Mark, and he told me he would call my OBGYN the next morning. I went to school as usual. Mark called me at the beginning of my lunch hour and said my doctor was only in his office until noon but that he would wait for me to get there. Dr. Ansty tried to aspirate this lump but had no luck. He called and made me an appointment that same afternoon with a surgeon. I was then scheduled for a biopsy the next Friday. We were told it was cancer. After surgery, I came home on Valentine's Day. Mark was with me through all my chemo treatments and took care of our two small children when I couldn't. In January 2007 I had severe pain in my right breast and we got to do the routine all over again. No matter how down and depressed I got, Mark was always there for me. He sat with me through chemo and never left my side. When I lost my hair the first time, I was devastated. So, when my hair started to come out the second time, Mark said we were going to be in control and shaved my head! Our daughter painted butterflies with henna on my head, too. No matter how I felt about myself, Mark always told me how beautiful and sexy I was. When I felt like I couldn't handle it, Mark stepped in. He is my anchor. I couldn't have survived twice without him by my side. I am now 24 AND 7 years cancer free and WE are survivors, TOGETHER.

Shirley Johnson
The Colony, AL