Share Your Story

My Inspiration

I was 35 years old. Young, vibrate, alive, healthy, feeling on top of the world and I feel this lump in my left breast. I waited a few months to see if it the lump would disappear as mysteriously as it had appeared. My Mom forced me to call a Dr. And believe it or not I, actually think she saved my life for that! I have an ultrasound, a biopsy, the dreaded diagnosis, surgery and chemo. Found out I was HER-2 positive and qualified to enroll in a trial study for the drug Herceptin. So following 6 months of grueling chemo, I started the Herceptin and continued weekly treatments for 18 months. I got stronger, my hair grew back and I was a part of making history. I am glad to say that it's been a long haul but I am a better person for it for I see life in a whole new way. Thank you for letting me share my story.
Teri Lopez

Teri Rene' Lopez
Rock Island, IL

Raising money and walking for breast cancer in memory of my mom

I lost my mom to breast cancer in 2000. She was a 5 year survivor of the disease, but it ultimately spread and she lost her battle 3 months after my husband and I got married. She never met her grandaughter and she will never see my sister get married and have children either. I decided in 2008 that I was going to be BOLD and walk in the Atlanta Breast Cancer 3 day and raise $2200 to do so. My sister joined my team and we did our fundraising and walked with over 4000 phenomonal people that year! We each raised over $3500! I walked again last year and raised $3000. Due to the economy, it was harder to raise the money than it was the year before and there were half as many people to walk in Atlanta, but it was still a great event and I made many new friends. I am walking again in October of this year and plan to make my goal, surpass it and have a team of people to walk with to raise money again to support breast cancer research so that all women (and men) will have a better chance of surviving until a cure is found!

Chele
Rydal, GA

Why Mammogram's Are So Important!!

I am 45 and a "new Breast Cancer Survivor". I was diagnosed just over 8 weeks ago because I had a cyst and the mammogram found a "suspicious area" that after a biopsy was a small Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma. Like my sister at age 40 had. My mom and aunt are also survivors. Because it was detected early I will not need chemo/radiation or long term medication. I cannot preach enough about earl detection and that it does save lives and helps woman possibly not need some of the treatments that are so hard on your body, to treat breast cancer. I am currently home recovering from double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. I thank god every day that I went in to have it checked and the mammogram found my cancer.

Kerri
Woodstock, GA

I am now stage IV breast cancer

Diagnosed aug 2008 with bilateral breast cancer both ductal and invasive i was stage II one lymph node involved. I had bilateral mastectomies, with 14 lymph nodes removed on one side. I had a tram reconstruction was in the OR 8 half hrs and my recovery was tough but i did it. Had chemo lost all my beautiful hair it was down close to my waist. I then had my thyroid biopsied and it came back positive for thyroid cancer, so you got it more surgery thyroidectomy with radioactive swallow and neck resection for positive lymph nodes. then thyroid replacement and wt gain...finally done...i thought ,i had that surg in july09. In Jan 2010 i developed a cough and shortness of breath i went to the Dr immediately and they scanned me of course because once a breast cancer pt always a breast cancer pt. 7 nodules on my lungs biopsied my lung its breast cancer so im fighting for my life again....oh man here i go again, so i started chemo Feb again a yrs worth of hair growth gone, 6 months of this I will beat this they are tiny. While all this has been going on ive been singing with my band and i co wrote a song for my breast cancer sisters. You will be hearing it at Komen events called STAND UP AND FIGHT. Life is precious I wont let breast cancer stop me from singing and living my life. I go into the recording studio and i rock with my rock band , recently i auditioned for Americas got Talent 2 days after chemo. Ladies I only have one thing to say STAND UP AND FIGHT don't let breast cancer take your hopes and dreams Im not letting it take mine MicheleAnn http://www.myspace.com/micheleannn

MicheleAnn
Daytona Beach, FL

'3X Diagnosed & Survived Breast Cancer'

Call me '3X a Lady'. I have been diagnosed with breast cancer in July, 2002, July, 2004 & August, 2007. I have undergone chemo & radiation treatments for the first two and for the 3rd only chemo treatments because I have 'max' my radiation. I'm still undergoing chemo treatments and this is going to my 3rd year.

I'm a serious case for my 3rd diagnosis as my cancer advanced from stage 2 to 3. My Surgeon says I can live for 3 years while my Oncologist says he can make it 5 years. I'm 2.5 years of the timeframe and have followed 3 instructions by my doctors: eat whatever you want to eat; travel wherever you want to travel & organize your stuffs. I have done all and have been travelling to Europe every year while undergoing chemo.

My February, 2010 Petscan & CTscan show that I'm 'cancer free' which means that my chemo treatment of every 3 weeks works.

One wonders how I could have done and reached this far. I made it because of the unconditional love & care of my family especially my husband of 42 years who is with me in every waking hours.

Enjoy life while it lasts, after all it's 'only cancer'. Believe that you're already healed and ask for mercy healing. Also, believe and work in partnership with your doctors.....Finally, my team song is the disco music 'I'll survive' by Gloria Gaylor.

I have been an inspirational to others and I hope my story of the '3X a lady' will do the same for you.

Anonymous
Sacramento, CA

Hurray for Mammograms!

Like some of your other contributors I went for a routine mammogram just after my 60th birthday. No symptoms. But I was called back for biopsy and Ductal Carcinoma was diagnosed. My initial reaction was shock, like anyone else, as there was no previous history that I knew of in the family.
My husband wondered why I had been so long behind the swing doors at the Bolton hospital and was surprised when I told him on the way out that I was told I must have a mastectomy. The X-ray I had seen showed lots of white squiggles and blobs all over the dome of my right breast but just a dense black outline on the 'well' one. It was obviously not a good sight!
Within a fortnight I was operated on and after Christmas had 3 weeks' radio-therapy. 4mm of invasive cancer were found, but what if I had waited or not turned up for the original mammogram?
I can honestly say that I was not afraid during this period, lots of people, family and friends, supported me and I knew I was in good hands, both here and Above.
After a fall in France the following year, I went to the local doctor and, when she offered a tetanus jab, I asked for it in my left arm, explaining what had happened. She wistfully said that the free mammogram system for women in England was a real life-saver and wished it were available there.I think things have changed over there since 2003.
Thank you to cancer researchers, surgeons and breast nurses for your great support. I can still go to see my Helen at Bolton if I am worried and she is fantastic!
I also offer this in memory of the bravest woman I know, Anne Kilgarriff.

Eleanor
Rochdale, United Kingdom

My mom is a pink warrior!

My mom was diagnosed with Stage 3A breast cancer in July 2009. I was completely devastated. All these thoughts ran through my mind a hundred miles a minute. I got all those negative thoughts out of my mind and decided that, no matter what, I would be there every step of the way. I have always thought my mom was an absolutely amazing woman, but this experience has shown just how amazing she really is. She went through chemo without getting extremely sick. If anything, my dad and I watched her become more beautiful by the minute. She had her lumpectomy in January 2010. We were scared because she did have a suspicious lymph node, but the biopsy came back clean. The results from her lumpectomy came a week later, and she had completely clear margins. It was such a huge blessing! She is doing radiation now and feeling great. I am so very proud of her, and I feel honored to be her daughter. My mom is my bestfriend and my hero. My mom is a true pink warrior!

Lisa
Carrollton, GA

i will survive!

at the age of 40 i was diagnosed with breast cancer stage 2 november 2009, after having a lumpectomy & total lymph clearance in december 2009 i got my results 2 days before xmas, they were not good, it had already spread too far in my breast which left me facing a mastectomy.
after weeks of an emotional rollercoaster knowing what i faced with the physical changes about to happen to me i had the operation 16th february 2010, 2 days before my 41st birthday.
i have my results in 3 days time which i pray will be good.
as soon as my wounds start to heal i will start my 6 months of chemotherapy.
i have 2 beautiful daughters aged 16 & 11 who have been my reason for my determination to beat this disease.
one day at a time at the moment, still uncomfortable with pain but i will get there.
i wish you all good luck

Donna
Newcastle upon tyne, United Kingdom

My cancer means life

I was 31 years old when I got to know that I have cancer. Before that I was a sad girl, lost work and didnÂ´t know how much life meant to me. I live in Germany and it wasnÂ´t easy to find a new job in this year 2008. But then I learned that a job is not the most important thing in life.
The most important thing in life is to live!
My cancer brought me to another life - I was so happy when it was away with chemo and radiation. I was such a smiling girl when the hair began to grow again. And now I am happy for every day I am able to go out taking photos, love my life and see my friends. I also have a new job - but it is not the most important thing in life. I just live!
During the treatment I wrote a book about my story but no one wants to sell it because there are lots of german cancer books in the stores. But mine is filled with humor - you know humor an tumor - itÂ´s just one letter:o) I think that humor is the best way to recover and get healthy. Now 1 1/2 years have gone and before every check-up I fear - but in the last times everything was okay. And I am only thankful:o)

Jess
Baden-Baden, Germany

Why NOT me?

It was October, 1996 and my routine mammogram showed microcalcifications. 80% of the time, I was told, they are benign. But just in case, a biopsy was scheduled. Yup, there it was, DCIS. To make matters worse, they could not get a clean margin. So my choices were reexcision -- and the radiation specialist explained that he couldn't zero in on a specific area -- or mastectomy. My second opinion in Boston confirmed that mastectomy for me was as close to 100% survival as I could every hope. I had immediate reconstruction - TRAM flap, and voila, a new breast "mound" was created. I am so happy for my mammogram and the sharp eyes that found it.

Kathleen Strout
Bangor, ME