I am a 36-year-old single mother of a beautiful 13-year-old daughter. I had no signs of being sick until one day I woke up with a large knot on my neck, that after weeks of treating with ice packs, would not go away. I decided to go have this checked out only to find from a CATscan my lymph nodes throughout my body were swollen. After several biopsies and my very first mammogram, I was told I had stage III Breast Cancer. I actually had a pellet size tumor far in the back of my left breast that no one would have ever felt. Likewise, breast cancer does not run in my family so I have an entirely new outlook on the importance of mammograms - even if you are not over the age of 40! I remember the terror I felt and not knowing if I was going to live through this or not. Fortunately I have an awesome family who supported me through it all and gave me the strength to fight each and every day! Although chemo was tough and made me sick at times, I knew I must keep going and "fake it 'til you make it" for not only my own sanity but to ensure my daughter I would be fine. This picture I have enclosed is from this past years' Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baileys Circus that my daughter and I attended. Although I was in the middle of my treatment, I found that through this entire show - I completely forgot I was fighting cancer. As you can see from my smile, it was as if I had not a care in the world! I believe a key in recovery is simply remembering you ARE still alive therefore you CAN fight! My last PETscan was in December and I can officially say I won this fight! I am cancer free!!!

Jayme Davis
Pilot Point, TX