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Recurrent Breast Cancer

At 54 yrs. old, had scheduled yearly physical & mammogram. Went to my Dr. for routine blood work & had my pap smear & all looked good. I was to have my mammogram on May 23, 2008. On May 12, I noticed a lump on the upper side of my right breast. Called my Dr. she said I should have my mammogram sooner.On May 14 a mammogram, & ultrasound was done. Radiologist thought a biopsy should be done because the lump was irregular & not smooth. May 18 had biopsy & was diagnosed with triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma. Met with Drs. & it was decided to do lumpectomy, then mammosite radiation, then chemo. I had 4 months of chemo after radiation. Went back to work full time Jan. 2009. I felt good, so in Feb. 2009 I had my port removed. On March 18 noticed a swelling on my chest right below my shoulder on right side, went to Dr. She thought it was probably scar tissue or something assoc. with prior surgery, but ordered an MRI just to be safe.
I was called into breast center after MRI to have further tests. It was decided that a surgical biopsy needed to be done because the mass was under a muscle & it needed to be removed anyway. It was diagnosed as same aggresive type cancer. Had a complete right side mastectomy & axillary node dissection April 10, 2009. I had 23 chemo treatments then 28 radiation treatments. I finished all treatments Feb. 5 2010 & am now back to work doing great & have been given my life back. I thank the Lord & my family every day for getting me through this.

Kathy
Taneyville, MO

I'm Still Standing

36 was the age I was first diagnosis. I guess I was lucky because they caught it in time. My cat Rascal, who was 16 at the time, jumped on my chest one night, the next morning I had blood on my left nipple. In a matter of a month, I lost my left breast. My daughter was 11 at the time; she wasn't afraid of losing me, I guess because she really didn't understand. Then when I lost my hair, she cried. I reassured her I was going to be ok, that losing my hair was a good thing, because is showed the chemotherapy was working. Life was good for the next couple of years, I even felt beautiful and sexy again. Then when I turned 39, I found another lump on my right breast. I decided to have my breast removed because I didn't want the cancer to come back, and also wanted to look more even, and I was told when I have my implants put in, I could chose any size I wanted. 36C was what I choose, and never regretted it. Now my daugher is 27 and I'm 50, and I'm still standing.

Doris Leddy
New York, NY

My Wife

We found out in Jan. that my wife has breast cancer,She's 44. No symptoms or anything we could feel. Her yearly mammogram detected it! Lumpectomy was performed and intense radiation followed.We were then told that 18 weeks of chemotherapy needed to follow because tests revealed it (tumor) was lrge, and aggressive. Oh my god this is happening to us.How,why?After friends and some family found out the support has been great.My brother and the neighbors are having a street sale/fundraiser on Sat.&Sun. 4/10&4/11. 24 willink st. bflo N.Y. 14210 (Donations)She is not eligible for any disability at all while she is off work for 5-6 months.It will take a toll on our 3&9 year old girls financialy and emotionaly,but with all the love and support continuing to flow in we can beat this whole thing!! Thank you to all who read this and if you or someone you know is going through the same thing stay strong and God Bless. Joe

Anonymous
Buffalo, NY

YOU REALLY CAN LIVE WITH BREAST CANCER

I was diagnosed on National Breast Cancer Day in 2005 with Oestrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer Stage 4, I also had a nasty little surprise in my sacrum. They gave me the option of chemo or tamoxifen. I chose Tamoxifen as I was scared that the chemo would get me so far down that I would never get up. No-one gave me a time limit but the looks on their faces said it all. So I had radiation on my sacrum and started the Tamoxifen.
In 2007 I had a mastectomy and they found out that I had two types of breast cancer. The plastic surgeon I had been too, refused to do a reconstruction at that time. I felt like he only saw a dying woman and didn't want to bother.
In January 2009 I was changed to Femara to see if it would work better for me
In 2009 I discussed things with my breast surgeon and even though my tumour marker was still going up (only by about 2 - 3 points every three months). He thought I was still well enough to go through a reconstruction. He talked to another plastic surgeon, who agreed to operate. I had a tissue expander and a reduction on the right in March 2010. I am pleased that my breast surgeon listened to me. I got sick of having people write me off. I am 4 1/2 years down the track. I will always live with cancer as it won't go away, but I still work, do martial arts and do everyday stuff. Just because you are diagnosed with advanced cancer, it doesn't necessarily mean that your life is over. You would be surprised just how much fight you have in yourself. Stay Strong and keep Fighting.

Tracey
Melbourne, Australia

Pastor's wife gets superboobies

Hi, I am Rhiannon, aged 37, mother of the three most gorgeous kids & Pastor's wife.The last things my mother said to me was to do everything I could to avoid getting this breast cancer.My mum found out she had breast cancer at 41 years of age & died 9months later.I came home to take care of my mum and two brothers,9&17.
They made her go on a very aggressive course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.The radiotherapy was so aggressive it burnt her skin on the outside and on the inside of her throat & wasn't able to swallow food.She kinda' liked the idea that she was losing weight so fast.It was so difficult for me to eat.My mum had spent her whole life feeding me and now it was my turn to try and get her to take these drinks.
I know for my mum the thing she found most difficult to deal with was not the disease but the fact that she faced leaving her children behind with no one to care for them.I feel that now so I have decided to have a mastectomy.In the last 12months I have had two lumps, one in my breast and one in a lymph node.Being a Pastor's wife I have questioned myself and my faith as to whether I should leave it to God to work this out, whether my faith was strong enough that God would save me from this cancer.My mum was a Christian and believed in God with all her heart but she still died.I have realised that God gives us the ability to help ourselves.We wear a seatbelt to keep us safe.We remove an ingrown toenail if it is infected.It's not a toenail I am removing but it is something that will almost certainly save my life!

Rhiannon
Melbourne, Australia

Faith Family and Friends

My life has never been a walk in the park, I've had to work hard for everything. I've been faced with many challenges, but have come to learn that no matter what I'm faced with that I will emerge a stronger, happier, and healthier person. After being a victim of domestic violence in 2006, it took me many years to get my life back in order. 2009 was suppose to be a wonderful year because everything was finally going my way. Then in July, while getting ready for work, I found a lump in my right breast. I was 29 when diagnosed with Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma. I opted for a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction (I had 6 different tumors). I started my chemo in November and finished at the end of February. I am now receiving Herceptin through October and will be going back to surgery on April 12 to finish my reconstruction. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without the love and support of my family and friends. My children and I had to move into my mom's house the day of surgery, and we lived there for three months. After returning home, we would go back to my mom's during my chemo weeks, and are getting ready to move back in for my next surgery. Our church made dinner for the family almost every night for 8 weeks, the daycare waived my fees until I returned to work, and my co-workers donated some of their PTO. My children give me strength, hope, and love, my family is my inspiration, my friends offer words of wisdom, and my faith carries me! I continue to work full time, volunteer, and go to school. Nothing can stop me, Nothing! Cancer, you messed with the wrong person!

Angela Southwick Menendez
Estero, FL

No lump, no symptoms, but a mammogram found breast cancer.

March 3rd, 2008, I received a call from my Doctor with the shocking news that I had breast cancer. I was 48 years old and did all the right things. Good diet, exercise every day, didn't smoke and felt great. How could this be true?
A visit to the surgeon gave me another shock. The cancer was in my milk ducts and a lumpectomy would not give me a good cosmetic result. A mastectomy was recommended. I can't believe what I am hearing!
I had a single mastectomy on the left side and a tiny amount of cancer cells were found in a lymph node so chemo was in my future. I was in disbelief.
With the love and support of family and friends, I am now finished with it all. Surgery, chemo, reconstruction, and now I have beautiful curly hair and feel like a million bucks!
I made it through a emotionally and physically difficult time a much stronger, more confident woman. I am not glad that it happened, but I took something awful and tried to find the good in it. I wasn't going to let it just be a bad thing. I thank god for the medical advances that made it a better experience for me and others, but there's still a long way to go!
Let's help find a cure!

Denise Bacon
Hillsboro, OR

A Mammogram saved my life

In July 2009 a nurse from my primary care clinic called me to find out why I hadn't had a mammogram even though I had just celebrated my 45th birthday. I never really worried about anything like that because no one in my family has had breast cancer but I went ahead and made an appointment. Two days after my routine mammogram I received a call that they wanted me to come back for a diagnostic mammogram and the radiologist scheduled a biopsy for 8/14. On 8/24/09 I received the devastating news that would change my life forever.....I had breast cancer....ductal carcinoma in situ. A week later after an MRI my doctor delivered the next blow....I had to have a mastectomy because the cancer was in an area where breast conservation surgery was not indicated. I thought I was going to die. I didn't know how I would get through this devastating diagnosis. However, I was blessed in such a way because of how early my cancer was diagnosed, barely Stage 1, I did not require chemotherapy or radiation. I had my mastectomy on September 18, 2009 and began reconstruction in October. I consider myself reborn on September 18 but on October 5 I received the best news ever....my lymph nodes were clean and the tissue tests were clean....all the cancer was removed in my surgery. Reconstruction was painful and discouraging but on March 3 I had an implant placed where my left breast used to be. This has been a struggle to stay positive but I am here to tell you that a mammogram can save your life...it saved mine. If I had waited until age 50 I would probably not be sharing my story with you.

Sonia Gomez
Virginia Beach, VA

Stage 4 Breast and Lymphnode cancer survivor

In 2003 at age 32 I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast and lymphnode cancer. The doctor found a lump when I went in to be fertility tested. I didnt want to know the specifics of my treatment or the side effects-too much information is not a good thing for me- so I put my faith into the doctors and God. After 6 months of chemo, a radical mastectomy, and 3 months of radiation I was in remission. They were very excited because I was not expected to live.( no one had told me that). I had gone through premature menopause and was told that I would never have children. My daughter will be 2 in July and I am pregnant again. Never give up-the doctors are not always right. Keep a positive attitude-life isnt scripted and you never know what will happen.

Suzanne Jackson
st louis, MO

Everyone says I'm too young for breast cancer

Every appointment I go to, the medical employee walks out, says "Jessica?", and looks directly to my mom. My mom looks at me, I look at the medical employee, and I am the one to respond, say "Hi", follow them into the office, and let them know I am the patient. I am a 23 year old, just diagnosed with breast cancer in February. I never thought I'd be graduating from Boston College and then be unable to start my job because of cancer. I was supposed to finally be a nurse in pediatric oncology, taking care of kids with cancer, not becoming a patient!
I lost my dad to cancer 4 years ago, when I was 19, my brother was 17, and my dad was only 49 years old. We have a familial cancer gene mutation, Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, which greatly increases the risk of getting cancer, at young ages, and getting multiple cancers throughout a lifetime.
Now my mom, brother, friends, family & I are dealing with cancer once again- with me. I just had a bilateral mastectomy and am currently undergoing reconstruction. I will have more scans soon to make sure there is not cancer anywhere else.
After this experience, I am petrified of getting cancer again because of my gene mutation. I have seen cancer at its worst with my dad; I hoped I would never have to endure what he did. I wish no one had to be put through this awful disease and treatment.
Since we lost my dad, my goal has been to help cancer patients & their families in any way I can. I hope that now with my own personal experience in addition, it will only make me a stronger woman, nurse, and advocate to fight cancer & help its victims.

Jessica Shipp
Northborough, MA