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One month before my wedding I found out I had cancer

One month before my wedding I found out I had cancer

In February of 2012 on my 34th birthday I became engaged to my boyfriend of three years. I couldn’t have been happier. In the month of March, while packing to leave for a vacation I noticed a lump on my right breast. I dismissed it immediately, telling myself that I was too young and far too healthy to be diagnosed with anything serious. I ate healthy and I worked out daily, sometimes twice a day.
The date was June 1st, and I was out trying to find the perfect jewelry for my wedding. That afternoon, the Doctor called and told me I had breast cancer. The next few days were a blur of doctor visits and an abundance of new information with words that I had no clue of their meaning.
I had stage 3 breast cancer. This would mean that surgery, chemotherapy and radiation would be in my near future. The doctors agreed that I would be able to go ahead with my wedding plans but a honeymoon would not be anywhere tropical. It would be spent in the hospital on the operating table having surgery.
On July 14th I had a beautiful wedding filled with people who loved and supported me. On July 19th I went in for a double mastectomy and it was then that I realized instead of starting this incredible new life as a wife I would be starting a new life as a cancer patient. No one could have prepared me for the mental and physical war chemotherapy would wage on my mind, body and spirit.
Not to mention I was a newlywed and I couldn’t stand the fact that I had to watch myself physically deteriorate in front of my new husband. Nothing he could say would change the fact that I was bald and barely even resembled the girl he married just a few months earlier.
November 28th was my last chemo treatment; I had a break for six weeks before I started radiation.
It has now been a little over a year since my journey with breast cancer began.

Maureen Anderson
Island Lake, IL
cancer survivor

cancer survivor

I was told by my doctor that i had small leason on my cervic and they haf to lazer them off. and 6 months later i had cancer in my cervices and in my stomach. I had 13 surgery''s from 1990-1992 and my mother and my sister came to help me because I had young child at the time. it was the most difficult time in my life. I had lost all hope because I was told there was nothing that could be done. then the doctors n family start to pray, and i woke up when a lady was writing up my toe tag. i said what are u doing and she ran out of the room screaming. my mom and my sister and the doctor came into the room and was crying. i asked them what was wrong. they said they turn off the machines cause they say you were dead. i said to my mom, nobody's dying up in here. and she just held me and cried. I have been cancer free since 1994. In 2011, February I had a lump removed from my breast and So far cancer free.

emma white
landover, MD
Why "not" me?

Why "not" me?

I passed my neighbor in the hall as we both were in for our annual mammogram. "Hey, hi...that time of year again?" We smiled and waved and then it was my turn to go in. That day changed my life.
I was 57 when they found 1.4cm HER2 neu+ and Hormone receptor + breast tumor. I had a lumpectomy and started up the chemo.
I never said "why me?", I always said "why not me." Why should it be anyone else but me.....should it be my neighbor that I passed in the hall or should it be a young mother with children in her care? Why "not" me?
Of course, I lost my hair in chemo and then onto 33 rounds of radiations then onto Femara for 5 years. Yes, I am 5 years cancer free....praise God.
I also said, "I am good to go either way." Keeping an attitude of living...... in the moment......not in the past and not in the "what if" future, helped me to have a strong and positive outlook.
Having an amazing support group it vital.....my husband was there every step of the way.
Stay strong, positive, hopeful and live in the moment; it's all any of us have.

Paula A Villarreal
Shelton, WA

Freaky Friday October 26, 2013

After returning from a day of shopping with my friend Patty, I went to hang something in my closet and it felt like a knife was inserted in my back. Falling to my knees from the pain, a trip to the emergency room was in order. I thought I was having a heart attack. Much to my surprise, it was not a heart attack! My diagnosis was Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer in my spine, ribs and hips.

I entered the hospital for 9 days and had every test imaginable. There were no signs of cancer in my breasts at all...but it was breast cancer. In 2001, I had a lumpectomy after some calcifications were discovered; but for 12 years, I was clean. My oncologist was mystified at first because he said I had it for a very long time! He said it looked like a moth had been eating on my spine.

After the initial shock wore off, I began chemotherapy. The radiologist did not recommend radiation as he said it could make it worse, but offered it for the pain. And so it is now 6 months later, and I am able to walk better with less pain. My faith, friends and focus has gotten me through the worst of times. Faith in God keeps me hopeful...my friends keep me uplifted...and my focus is on one day at a time.

I have learned through this journey that no one gets out of this life alive...and that my cross, although it be heavy most days, is lighter if you are surrounded by people that love you! I press on and pray that everyone who gets this horrible disease will know that they are not in this alone. I call cancer survivors the "suffering saints" because until you walk the pink road you don't get it. I used to think this disease was something other people got and I always felt sad for them. Now when I look at my bald head in the mirror, I realize you never know what is around the next corner. KEEP FIGHTING!

Judy Childs
St. Ignace, MI
How my cat saved my life

How my cat saved my life

It had been two years since my last mammogram in 2012 and I had decided to wait another year. My cat, however, had other plans for me. Mr. Magooo, the love of my life that I had had for 11 years, started actively sitting on my left breast. He also would come up and sniff and stare at this location constantly. One day, after a hard poke from him, I decided to make my mammogram appointment, thinking this was very odd behavior from him and could he be trying to tell me something.

After the mammogram, I left the clinic and by the time I got home received the phone call that changed my life. I was called back in for a diagnostic mammogram, biopsy and breast MRI. It was confirmed, I had early state Invasive Ductal Carcinoma of my left breast. I went through a Lumpectomy, Sentinel Node Biopsy and 7 weeks of of Radiation and all thru that time Mr. Magooo was by my side. Magooo was not the up close and cuddly kind of cat, but I have to say all thru my treatment he was there for me, cuddling with me every chance he could. Sadly, within 7 months of leaving radiation treatment, Mr. Magooo passed away peacefully. Had it not been from my cat's constant attention to my left breast, I would have waited another year to have the mammogram done and probably wouldn't be here today.

I owe my life to Mr. Magooo. He has left paw prints on my heart forever and I will never forget those months after surgery how well he took good care of me. He gave me reason to go on after treatment. I will never forget you Mr. Magooo.

Debbie
Northern Virginia

Debbie
Centreville, VA

Gods path for me

I could feel a lump in my left breast for many months. I remember calling my doctor to book the appointment stating that I just wanted him to "ease my mind". Mammogram and breast ultrasound confirmed the suspicious lump so breast biopsy was ordered. I remember the Dr that did the biopsy held my hand after she was done and confirmed that I in fact had breast cancer. She called my boss (who is a family physician) to tell him that I wouldn't be at work the next day, it was in her best opinion that I take a day off. She told him why, (with my permission). I went on to have a mastectomy, with 18 lymph nodes removed, 8 of these were positive for metastatic disease. Pathology confirmed that I had stage 3C breast cancer. I then had 16 doses of chemotherapy and 45 doses of radiation. Through it all I found strength through my family, (my husband and my children to be exact), and put my fate in Gods hands. I kept telling myself that God chose my journey to give me hands on experience. I was given this path to be more empathetic towards my patients. Who better knows what someone is going through than someone who has already gone through it? Today, I am 5 years cancer free. It didn't come without it's bumps in the road (double mastectomy, hysterectomy), but I am healthy and happy and owe this to my family and to God.

Jennifer
Stratford, Canada

My Journey

August of 2011, I was diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer, I had 9 tumors outside the uterus, so surgery was ruled out. I had internal and external radiation and chemotheraphy and was cancer free until March 2014. After a routine follow-up MRI they spotted a small mass on the right breast, Lobular cancer. I had no lumps and felt great, the only sign I had was a small dimpling on the right breast. The surgeon said I had great follow ups with my last bout of cancer and thank God because this is small and can be removed and treated. I have opted for a double mastectomy and reconstruction, I will be having surgery May 7th and looking forward to a cancer free body once again.

Cindy Walters
Freeport, IL

Breast Cancer at 25

Before going on a long weekend vacation to visit family I felt a lump. Being so young and not having any family members with cancer I didn't think too much of it. Once back from the weekend the lump had gotten larger and now I knew something was not right. Went to see my primary doctor who assured me it's probably a fiber melanoma and sent me to see a surgeon so I could get it removed. The surgeon wanted some tests done to find out want exactly it was to know how much to take out. I wasn't going to get any results till a few weeks later but suddenly I got a call that there was an "opening" with my surgeon and to come in the next day. At that point I still never thought it could be breast cancer... Well it was stage 2B. I couldn't stop crying especally when he started explaining the complications with having children. We were trying to conceive and I was heart broken. So there I went with a world wind of tests. It had also spreed to my lympnodes. I rushed through getting my eggs frozen and started chemo then surgery and finally radiation. On my 26th birthday was my last day of radiation and I wanted to wash this horrid year away. There is not a day that goes by that I wonder if it's back but I also take every day as a blessing to live and enjoy. My family, friends and husband are amazing and I was never alone through my journey. I once thought if I comes back I can't do this again but if it does I will not only for me but for everyone that I love and can't live without. Keep hope alive

Kelli
Warwick, RI

A Year of Inconvenience.

I have always hated to have mammograms, now of course they are my best friends. I had my mammogram on Valentines day 2014. I did it so my doctor would stop pestering me. Little did I know I would get another call back, a biopsy, and the news that it was positive. Impossible! Not me, i'm 67 and in very good health. I then realized that for the past year I had not felt that wonderful, I felt that something was wrong but I had no idea what it was. I chose to have a lumpectomy and the results showed that I had ductal carcinoma, HER2 and was estrogen positive. Wow, how on earth can I handle this? Tears, denial, and finally acceptance. Everything happened so very fast. Two weeks after surgery I started chemo. When my hair started to fall out I went into the bathroom, took my husband's electric razor, and shaved down the center of my head. I decided that I was not a victim but that I had to assert some control over the situation. My wonderful husband finished the job for me and I took pictures along the way. I have to have chemo six times, every three weeks; two down, four to go. When I realized that I would continue on with Herceptin every three weeks for a year, I decided that this would just be "a year of inconvenience." I still bowl, walk the dogs and go to water aerobics whenever I can. Fatigue is the enemy so the sofa has become my ally. I have wonderful supportive friends and family and my husband is a saint in all this. I discovered how truly blessed I am. The support at Kaiser is phenomenal and so many people are offering support, guidance and help. It truly will be my year of inconvenience, but I will make it through just fine.

Sandy Sellnow
Citrus Heights, CA

My Journey

My journey began 4 years ago next month....I had a mammogram scheduled, was thinking about postponing it for awhile as I didn't want to miss work...I ended up being bitten on the leg by what turned out to be a black widow spider...had to go to the ER that night and then my primary the next day. I had to take a couple of days off ..this was at the time my mammogram was scheduled, so I went ahead and kept the appt. So glad I did and even though that spider bite made me sick, I am still thankful it happened. With absolutely no family history of BRCA, I ended up being diagnosed with stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, ...in the biopsy process (I had a Mediastinotomy in addition to the regular biopsy) I was also diagnosed with Sarcoidosis on my L lung…so I had two battles to fight…I ended up with numerous hospitalizations, a lumpectomy, 9 lymph nodes removed and about 7 1/12 weeks of radiation, which I referred to as my daily vitamin R treatments… I have been able to be of encouragement to many women whose paths have crossed with mine. So thankful I remain in remission and continue to fight like a girl….

Deborah
Las Vegas, NV