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Beautifully Blessed

This is my mom, Penny, beautiful as she is you would never think shes been sick her whole life. At just 15 she was diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma.She was one of Mary Bird Perkins first patients.This was in 79 i believe.Then again in 1998 she found out she had Thyroid cancer.She had them removed,and i can remember her staples in her neck and how me nor my older brother could even see her due to the mega dose of radiation she had to have.Years later, in 2008, she had a bleed on her brain.Was in sicu for two weeks then,had to give up her job as manager of four years,a job she loved dearly.Shortly after in 2010,had to have heart surgery,a valve replacement.Only to find out open heart wasnt an option due to her heart being calcified. So they had to go in through her groin and change her aortic valve.Now,in 2014,we are preparing for a double mastectomy November 5.This woman is a true survivor.Never losing faith in the Lord,always believing in his will.My mom is my hero.After all shes been through shes still manages to stay beautiful on the inside,never bitter,always with kind words. I envy her strength and determination because i personally would have been given up.
I just wanted to share her story and hopefully inspire someone in a similar situation,not to give up.To keep on pushing and always believe.

My mom is my best friend, and my other half.My world would be turned around in an indescribable way if something was to go wrong. i ask please that you all would keep her in your prayers as she goes in on the 5th. Thank you!

Kirsten Landry
Fordoche, LA

CAR DOOR saves me.

Its May. Buying flower trays to plant a beautiful spring garden. New Growth, ample sun, seeds sprouting. Sounds like a great new beginning starting. Yes, that's how I always look at it.

Messy garage as I fumble with taking out flower trays in my little space. In doing so I knock myself hard into the door. Ouch...Kept going and got it all out. Enough work today. I will shower. My right breast really took the brunt of the corner of the door and I access the damage noticing some pain, bruising, but a hardened area. Wow that was a hard hit. It's so like me to injure myself but keep going. I know the gum ball size ball is there but keep it in the back of my mind. It will heal.

June comes along and time for my GYN appointment. We go through everything and she says, "ALL OK" . Wait.. there was that lump. She feels it and immediately makes an appt for an ultrasound. They immediately make an appointment for a biopsy. Wow. But it was the car door. Dr does the fine needle aspiration and talks about if it's dried blood from the injury he will easily be able to tell. He does his procedure and I am telling him how I am going to Ireland at the end of July. He says 3 days for results. Why is that necessary with dried blood.

3 days later I am attending a dinner party when he calls. Wants me at his office right away? Can't it wait? No, I want you to come in now. Its cancer.

The rest? Determination, positive thinking, great team = key. Went on my trip to Ireland and 15 yrs later planning another. Without that car door? Who knows?

Anonymous
betlehem, PA

my story

My story started after my Mother died in 2008. She had breast cáncer. I asked my doctor if I could have a mammogram just for my own piece of mind,I was 42yrs old. The mammogram showed up micro calcification in the left breast. I was shocked. Until January of this year I was continuing to have checks every 6 months - 1 yr. In January my right breast was very dense, and after repeating the mammogram in June I was sent for a biopsy. On 17th July I was told I had breast cáncer. I had a breast MRI and it was confirmed I had a large tumour in the milk duct. measuring 8.5cm x 4cm, I was stage 1 grade 3,HER 2 positive and hormone receptor negative. On the 3rd October they tested my lymph nodes and thankfully they came back negative. I had a mastectomy saving my skin but not the nipple and a próstesis put in straight away. 4 weeks later I am fine,I will get my pathology results hopefully this week but the doctors think that I will not need any further treatment. I am so grateful to all my doctors for the care they have given me the past few years without checking the tiny problem I originally had and which has never changed,they wouldnt have spotted the other breast changing. I am all for awareness so I started a FB page and I explain things happening incase someone reads it and they think they have a problem. Yes its a little uncomfortable some of the things we have to go through,but we get through them. I couldnt do this without my family and Friends especially my husband Trevor,who only had brain surgery in March this year which thankfully he is recovering from well. Some people prefer not to talk about cáncer but for me I think it is a huge help when others know what you are going through.

Nancy Lauren Fryatt Tew
Menorca, Spain

You just have to keep moving forward

I am a 7 year survivor having been diagnosed in April 2007 at age 53. It was right breast stage II, node negative and I was also estrogen receptive and HER2+. I had a lumpectomy and then had 8 rounds of chemo (adriamicin, cytoxin and taxol), 33 radiation treatments, targeted treatment (herceptin) and 5 years of hormone blocking treatment (arimidex).All those side-effect that you can have, I had almost all of them. A year after the lumpectomy, I went into CHF and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy directly connected to the chemo and wasn't able to complete the IV treatments of herceptin (completing just 8 of 12 months). It's rare but it happens. It took a year for there to be significant improvement to my heart function and then for reasons unknown I lost half of what I had gained toward reaching a more normal number. It is considered moderate damage and permanent.

You know they don't tell you that you won't be going back to your "normal" self after treatment is complete. You find that out by yourself. They don't tell you how abandoned you'll feel when the treatments and the constant testing is over and you only see a doctor every 6 months to a year. You just learn to adjust and to take a deep breath and go with it. It's what you do if you still want to be here. You just have to keep moving forward, so you can be alive with the people you love.

I've had so much support from family and friends but most especially from my husband Eddy. From the day of the biopsy, to the diagnosis, surgery, chemo, testing...he was just always there at my side. He took me to dinner after chemo treatments because it was the day I felt best. He gave me the neupogen shots and was my shoulder to cry on when I had no strength to do anything else. He shaved my head. I wouldn't be here without him and I am blessed and cancer-free and here. Bless you all in your journey as well.

Paula Owensby
Kissimmee, FL

left worn out after being a carer for 2yrs

my husband was diagnosed with myloma in 2010,health went from bad to worse in late 2011he was loseing weight,and having blood transfusions every week i did all i could for him but he passed away in oct 2012,i decided to move because of all the memories 4,000 klms to be with my daughter,i was feeling pretty low and decided to by myself some new under wear ,on seeing my self in the mirror in the change room ,i could see dimpling around my breast went to doctor ,sent for biopsy,had 5 cor biopsy my god they hurt, 4 days later results were back now i had breast cancer,had a lumpectomy and 6 weeks of radiation ,all is looking good now,thank god for the wonderful treatment they can do tday

jennifer usher
port macquarie, Australia

Coming out swinging!

I am a 44 yr old mother of 3 beautiful kids ages 25, 22, and 8 1/2 and I was DX with Stage IIA Grade III IDC on August 25th 2014. Things have been a whirlwind since! I opted for bilateral mastectomies and had my surgery done on September 10th 2014. I chose my route for my own peace of mind and for symmetry upon reconstruction, which I opted to delay. I am fortunate that no lymph nodes were involved! Initially my pathology report came back stating that I was HER2- and HR+ with Estrogen at 30% and Progesterone at 10% but when my Oncatype DX results came back it actually showed my Estrogen 6.6% (baseline is 6.5%) and Progesterone as negative, which makes me newly DX as Triple Negative with a 67% chance of recurrence.

I had a Port-A-Cath placed on October 15th and pretty much my only treatment option is aggressive chemo, which I started on Friday, October 24th. I am scheduled to do 4 rounds of bi-monthly Dose Dense AC (Adriamycin- otherwise known as "The Red Devil" - and Cytoxan) followed by 12 weekly doses of Taxol. 5 months total, and once I am done I will persue my reconstruction using expanders followed by implants under my pec muscles :)

So far, so good!! I am optimistic and have chosen to come out swinging and kick some @$$!! I am very blessed to have an awesome support team consisiting of my wonderful husband of 26 years, our children, our extended family and our amazing network of friends! I will do a followup story once I am finished with this battle. God Bless all of my Warrior Sisters on each of your journeys <3

Davon H.
La Pine, OR

Newly Diagnosed

Two weeks ago Friday, I found a large knot in my left breast. After getting my mammo this past Tuesday and a whirlwind week of tests, because the diagnostic mammo revealed a mass. I was immediately scheduled with a Breast surgeon for a us biopsy When the pathologist indicated the specimen cells were normal she immediately sent me to get a mammo guided biopsy and after pathology was back, I've been diagnosed with an Invasive high grade ductal carcinoma with high proliferative rate and extensive necrosis. In other words an aggressive stage three malignant breast duct cancer. I've been warned it will be a rough year ahead. My doctor asked how I was taking this news so calmly and I pointed upward. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". I have an awesome husband, family and friends. Not to mention, God's got this! I know it will be one of the hardest things I've ever done, but through my faith I will be a conqueror.

Dana Keys
Antioch, TN

Why so long for my choice of treatment?

Hi, I have never told my story to anyone before, it maybe because I don't feel it's quite over yet. I am a 46yr old mum of two. My son is 24 and my daughter is 18 years old. My daughter has Quadroplegic Cerebral Palsy with severe complex needs, end of life issues to deal with daily and we have almost lost her multiple times. I feel blessed with every day that we all have our family. I'm Cancer free now, but my choice of treatment seems to be why I can't close this chapter.
I was first diagnosed in April 2013. I had a routine mammogram, which led to a scan and biopsy of my left Breast within the hour, it all happend so fast. I was numb for a couple of days waiting for the results and there it was, Breast Cancer. No one in my family had ever had breast cancer, although my dad had cancer in his jaw over 30 years ago but no one else. I was told I had DCIS stage 1, although the ER+ was very high. My treatment needed would be a lumpectomy with 6 weeks radiotherapy treatment, then a five year course of hormone therapy. I had my own personal demons with radiotherapy and discussed these over with my Doctor, he said "he understood, but I had to think of this in the logic part of my brain". I found his bedside manner wasn't his strong point. He introduced me to my Support Nurse who gave me her card and to get in touch if I needed to speak to her. The whole experience was very cold. I did my own research and found that I hadn't seen my pathology report,.......to be continued.........

Anonymous
Glasgow, United Kingdom

I can do it...

I have had mammograms since the age of 35. In May 2014, at 41, I had my yearly and all was good. 5 Months later, September 30th, I got out of the shower and felt a lump. Went into my Gyne, who thought it was nothing, since I just had a clear mammogram, sent me for another...after 3 hours and probably 40 screens, I had an ultrasound and the Radiologist came in and said it looked like Cancer...next day, I had a biopsy on my left breast, right breast and lymph nodes...October 1st, diagnosed with Stage 4 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma with Lobular Features. The tumor looked about 9 cm. I have two boys, 10 and 12 and a wonderful husband. I was the Director of Special Events for 600 youth football and cheer kids, I also worked full time. Cancer did not fit into the plan.
I started Chemo on October 14th...6 rounds, then double mastectomy, radiation and reconstruction. I am a fighter and will beat this, but I am scared for my family and friends. It has hit everyone so hard!...my message is that if you EVER feel something that is not right...GET IT CHECKED OUT. The Lobular was agressive and grew in 4 months!

Lisa
Lindenhurst, IL

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

I thank GOD for another year, for the gift of life, the memories and for the many blessings. We may have experienced so many stumbling blocks in spite of that, the LORD not for a moment forsaken us.

Accepting you have the disease is the beginning of healing. Dealing with cancer may not be mind over matter; having the right attitude is the most essential part in the road to recovery. It can be a blessing if you perceive it on a positive route. Living with cancer, is a reminder that every morning gives us a new aspiration, to love our life, be grateful, and to live it according to the will of the LORD.
Every day is a journey, new adventures, and new discoveries. Face life with zeal and fill it with optimism. It will make the journey more exciting and less exhausting. We can choose to dwell on with the disease, and let it defeat us or to be cheerful and be someone’s encouragement and inspiration. Staying strong amidst the challenges does not mean we cannot shed tears, even the LORD JESUS wept.

When I was diagnosed five years ago, I regard pink not just a feminine colour but the colour of COURAGE, COMPASSION, HOPE, FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY, LOVE, SUPPORT, STRENGTH, SISTERHOOD; a colour for the PASSION TO LIVE; it represents the countless WARRIORS and VICTORS.

We are already a VICTOR, for the battle has already been won as the bible says “…….in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us”. (Romans 8:37)

Anonymous
Benguet, Philippines