my name is michele and im 47 yrs old, mum was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 65-she is now 71 and underwent a lumpectomy and radiation-my nanna who has since passed away got breast cancer at age 53 and died at 62-yearly i have been undergoing mammograms and ultrasounds from the age of 30 because of my family history and also the fact that my mums 2 first cousins also had breast cancer-i knew deep down that it was only a matter of time before the doctor said those dreaded words that i too now had breast cancer-i was told about a month ago beginning of October 2009 and since have had a partial mastectomy only 6 days ago-believe it or not i spent 2 days in hospital before coming home and i have not stopped or slowed down -i am returning next week to see my surgeon to then follow up with a oncologist-i have not shed a tear since coming home from hosptal but shed buckets before i went in-i was so scared of the unknown and also to how my breast would look-you could not see or feel the lump it was deep in the chest wall-i had a partial mastectomy as my surgeon calls it and im so nervous for the follow up treatment that is to follow-one positive thing that did come from this is my firends have been amazing and unfortunately it takes something so drastic and horrible in your life to realize how imprtant it is to have friends and family rally around you in a time of need-thank god for awareneess to breast cancer as my surgeon told me that if i had not continued to have mammograms it would have been 5 years before it was too late
michelebondi beach sydney, Australia