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what i learned along the way.

I was diagnosed 1/9/09 with stage 4 imflamatory breast cancer, I went through treatment and i am surviving breast cancer. I am 37 have 2 children and a great husband and cancer will never change that. What i learned a long the way is i am a lot stronger than i thought, more beautiful than i ever thought i could be and loved more than i ever knew. Having and going through cancer was a journey and a process, i went through so many stages anger, denial, and depression, but i now except cancer and live with it everyday.i have learned to believe in myself which is not easy but when you do its powerful. i try to live in the moment and enjoy the day and live my normal life. Sure i hug my kids more but i still yell at them to pick up there toys. I am happy and at peace and that makes me survive cancer.

colleen
milford, PA

The day my life changed

It was Oct.31,2003, I was 29 yrs. old and the nurse practitioner found a tiny lump,she said it was prob nothing but sent me for mammo anyway. Well it came back I had breast cancer. I was shocked, its not in my family. I had a lumpectomy in Dec,03, then chemo in Feb.04 then found out my husband was being unfaithful, so now a divorce,then a mastectomy in June and reconstructive surgery in Sept.04. It was a lot to go threw at once, and the hardest part was going threw a divorce at the same time, not easy at all. The other thing that was tough for me as a women was losing my hair, that was so hard. I lost my natural curls. Thank God for my mother and my 2 boys, They got me threw it, and my whole family. I thank God for the wonderful family I have. My mom is my best friend and was with me threw it all! Today I am married again, I married in 2007, I have a wonderful husband,2 stepdaughters and my 2 sons. I believe everything happens for a reason. Lisa W :)

Lisa Whitmore
Coventry, RI

Pamela Joyce Miller

My mother first was diagnosed when she was 44 years old. She went through a masectomy, chemo and radiation. She was very sick and lost all of her hair. She made it through the rough patch. Then in her 5th year of remission, which they say is the golden year, they informed her that it had matastasized and it was all over and in her bones. She went through so much the first time and the thought of her having to do it all over again saddened me. She didnt want to give up, she fought with all she had until her port got infected and she had to have fluid drained from her heart and lungs. They told her that the could not continue with therapy until the infection went away and put her in hospice. She never gave up, even until her last breath. I saw her getting more weak everyday, in constant pain and she wasn't living anymore, just exsiting. Suffering was something I could not let her do any longer. So as a mother myself, I made the decision to stop the antibitics and let God take care of the rest. I live with the regret everyday of "what if I didnt take her off the medicine" I know in my heart I did the best thing. She is an amazing mother and the bravest woman I have ever known. I love my mother and I miss her every single day, it does get easier but, to me, the pain is still as strong as it was when she layed in my arms and passed away. She will forever leave behind her spirit in me! She left her only 12 days after her 50th birthday. I love you mom!

Lisa McIntosh
Tulsa, OK

My Mom Is An Amazing Woman

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2010, at the age of 81. She chose to have a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. The surgery was successful, got all of the cancer and the sentinel node came back clear. She has just started the process to begin radiation, which she will do for six weeks. Two weeks ago, I was in the hospital for ten days; my mom came twice a day, every day to see me. Her lump was so small that it could not be detected by hand, it was only because of the mammogram that it was found early. Please do your monthly self breast exams and get those mammograms, because breat cancer can and does happen. Mom is my touch stone and my best friend; she anchors us and inspires all of us. She is going to be a survivor and we will be right there with her. We are going to do this together. I love you mom and am so proud of you!

Sheila Sawyer
Elizabeth City, NC

My Precious Daughter &Best Friend

In 1993 my beautiful daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. 4mos. earlier she had given birth to her second child. She had a mastectomy followed by Chemo. She was well once again. Three years later she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Two weeks latter she was diagnosed with breast cancer again. God took her home to live with him.
Julie had earged her friends to have regular mammograms. Because of her messages her best friend was saved. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. Dawn calls Julie her guardian angel. What a blessing. I lost my only daughter,but was given the life of her best friend.
Nola
OKC,OK

Nola Tompkinson
Oklahoma City, OK

A mammogram found my breast cancer!

My doctor recommended a mammogram since I had not had one since I moved back to my home town. I did have one and it had been 10 years before. I was 59 years old.
They found something and immediately and sent me in for a sonogram. I was then sent to a surgeon for a biopsy. I was very lucky that they found it very early. It was a positive diagnosis. I did get a couple of opinions as I was in shock about all this as it does not run in my family.
I found out that it does not run in the family of most women. If it does they watch you better and test more often.
I had another surgery to make sure they had removed it all but I did not let them remove my breast. I was treated with radiation for 35 weeks.
I have been cancer free for two years (thanks God) and should be having another mammogram in June.
I am very glad that I had the mammogram as I almost put it off again.

God blessed me with wonderful doctors, physicians and couselors who were very caring and helped me through it all.

Ladies please, get your mammograms, it can save your life!

Carol Chase
Interlachen, FL

my best friend...my sister

well i just got news today that my best freind has breast cancer.. its been so hard because she just got over a different cancer and now this.. i mean it just crushes me every minute of the day to think about what she goes threw.. and there aint nothing i can do about it.. she has insurance but the insurance will not cover anyhting she needs to get done..she is better off not having insurance so she can get the help that she needs.. i want to start up a donatin but i dont know where to start.. if anyone has anything to tell me or help me out let me know my email address is bsmithey81@yahoo.com..thank u all.. and bonnie u are in my thoughts and prayers!!!!!

becky smithey
hawk point, MO

My special ed teacher

My special ed teacher from junior high was diagnosed with breast cancer. She first noticed the lump while feeding her daughter. She battled for 18 months. Sadly on February 11, 2010 she lost her battle. The cancer had spread everywhere. She was only 38. She was a wonderful teacher and person. I miss her so much. She never stopped fighting and always with a smile. In loving memory of Angie Strehlow Kolnik.

Kari
milton, WI

Loving Others

I am an avid daily clicker and I love to read the stories. The "Honoring Moms" theme has touched me in so many ways that I wanted to tell my story. My Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 and had a lumpectomy; however, the cancer had moved to her lymph nodes. She went through aggressive chemo and radiation and was cancer free for a short time. The cancer came back in a form of a skin rash and on September 30, 2005, she was diagnosed with leukemia, which was a side effect of her initial chemo treatments. She lost her battle on October 2, 2005. My Mom thought of others first and did not want the cancer to affect her family so she did not always let us know what she was going through. This is just a reminder to take the time to actually be there, to do the little things, and to love your loved ones as if tomorrow is not a definite. Hopefully, with your love and support they will become cancer free and live a very long life. Now that I have lived through my Mom's cancer and, in looking back, I feel that I could have done so much more for her if I had only had a better understanding of cancer. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.

My sister and I have taken what Mom taught us in loving others and putting them first. We are very active in our local American Cancer Society Relay for Life. We feel that in loving others who have or had cancer and their family members that we are indirectly giving to Mom.

Pam Moose
Gastonia, NC

39 yrs old

I found my lump in my sleep 2/10/2010, yes in my sleep. I believe my guardians angels woke me up, rubbing it, b/c I had to find this thing before it would be too late. The next morning happen to be a snowday, which really wasn't necessary, school was closed so I was off of work. SO I called my family doc, with in an hour I was in with her, with in 2 hours I was having my first mammo and sonno. Long story short, I was having a double masect 3 weeks later 3/4/2010, at the age of 39. It was ductal carcinoma, stage 2, her2 neu pos, in 2 lympnods. I am curently going through chemo, lost my long curly hair (which I am more upset about then losing my boobs). My surgeon sayd it's curable, not just treatable. I believe God put all of these wonderful surgeons and docs in my life to save me. I also believe that the wonderful people in my life are a part of my life for a reason. They are my strength when I need them, bring me up when I am scared. My 2 WONDERFUL BOYS ARE MY LIFE! I AM A FIGHTER AND WILL NOT LET THIS HORRIBLE BEAST GET ME! The power of prayer gets me through it, my WONDERFUL SUPPORTIVE FAMILY gets me through this, my friends get me through this.
I also have to say a year almost to the month I was diagnosed, one of my good friends was just ending her treatment from breast cancer, after also having a double masect. Seeing her go through this w/ her unbelievable faith and strength, gets me through my ordeal. We can all be there for one another.

Colleen Mullen
Holtsville, NY