I am a 12 year breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in July 2011 and had a lumpectomy in Aug 2011. I had 33 radiation treatments. Thank God I didn't need chemo. My diagnosis came at a very bad time in life, not that there is a good time for such a diagnosis, At the time, my husband, was being treated for kidney failure and was on dialysis 3 times a week. He was also dealing with the newness of being blind. I didn't have time to be sick, I needed to be strong for him. I had my surgery as an outpatient and the next day was able to drive again. I had to do all the driving, take my husband to dialysis 3 days a week and to the many, many doctor's appointments he had weekly. During all this, I also babysat my 4 year old granddaughter every day from 6 in the morning til 6 at night. She attended preschool 3 days a week. I would get up at 5:30 every morning, take my husband to dialysis for 6 a.m. on his scheduled days, and then go to my son's house. Dialysis was four hours, but he was never ready to leave the clinic for 5-5 1/2 hours, which gave me time to get my granddaughter to pre-school, go for my radiation treatment, be back in time to pick up my granddaughter then my husband. We would have lunch and then off to whatever doctor's appointment we had for that day. I never was concerned for myself. My fear was if something happened to me, what would happen to them. I had to be strong and strong I was.

Anonymous
Apollo, PA