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Thanks Mom and Dad!

October 2013 I got a call from the mammogram center stating they have a script for me from my family doctor to come get my mammo. Thinking this was odd because I didn't recognize the doctors name who sent it in(I just go to whatever doctor is available so possible just don't remember her).I decided to go because I was now 43.About a month before the appointment I started feeling around and felt a lump. Thinking Its all in my mind because I knew the appointment was coming up I just ignored it, after all there was no history of it in my family. Went for my mammogram and got a call back stating they had seen something in my right breast right where I had felt the lump. In disbelief I figured it must be a cyst. Biopsy told otherwise, it was cancer with lymph node involvement. While I was going through chemo my son became sick so I had called the family doctor and the only one available was the doctor who sent in the script. Great, that ment I could personally thank her. Got to the office to find a doctor I had never seen but proceeded to thank her for sending in the script. As she looked confused she told he how strange that was because they never just put out scripts on their own unless a patient asks them to. All along I felt my mom and dad who passed away 16 years ago must have had something to do with it, now I am certain! I probable would have put off that mammogram for a few more years and who knows what would have been. I had a lumpectomy, and as my breast surgeon told me, I pulled up my big girl pants(love her!!) and made it through 8 chemo treatments and have now completed 20 of 33 radiation treatments and am cancer free! Thanks mom and dad for saving my life!

Debbie
Glenside, PA

Jesus said "You will go through this with me" and He did

In April of 2013 I felt a lump on my right breast and immediately became concerned. Without letting anyone knew I went to the doctor and had mammorgram and USG test. The next day, at the age of 39, I was diagnosed with stage IIB breast cancer. My world fall apart. I have a boy who is still 11 years old and I want to see him grow and see my grandchildren. At first I frustated and questioning God, "why me?" but Jesus come to me and hold my hand and said "You will go through this with me. I will never leave you". Jesus's word strengthen me and I stopped blaming God and start to give Him thanks. A month later I had a partial mastectomy and started chemotherapy a month later. I received 6 treatments of chemotherapy, 30 treatments of radiation and continue with hormonal therapy for the next 5 years. My mom, sister and brother in law was by my side for every doctors visit, every chemotherapy treatment, and more importantly taking good care of me! When I lost my hair from chemotherapy, my mom cried but she told me that it is fine because it means the medicine worked. During the journey I witnessed how God's worked in amazing ways and He answered prays. I never feel pain during my cemotherapy session or my radiation. Even my doctor told me that I didn't look like other cancer patient, she said my face was glowing. I told her that it is because of Jesus who strengthen me. April 2014, I went through the body scan and Praise Jesus, the result show that there is no cancer in my body. Halleluya. I have faith that there will be no more cancer in me. I survived cancer because of God and the support I received from my family and I promised God to tell everyone about His amazing work and this is my story.

Euis C
DKI Jakarta, Indonesia

I, no longer, have the right to remain silent!!!

Growing up in a home riddled with domestic violence, I was always told to keep quiet about personal matters. Even though my family grew out of that phase, keeping quiet still remained a huge part of my life. The last few days, I have been encouraged to be open because it will help someone else.

I felt a lump in my breast a while ago. I pushed it off. I didn't think too much about it. After all...ALL my yearly mammograms came back clear. I had a breast reduction 10 years ago and I believed it was scar tissue. As I became engulfed with other things in life, I didn't pay attention to my body like I should have. I went to my OBGYN for a routine visit and mentioned the lump casually. She was quite concerned. I still wasn't and wondered why she was. She referred me to a surgeon who ordered a mammogram and sonogram. They didn't know what the lump was. I still believed it was scar tissue. So, finally a biopsy was ordered. Last week, it came back positive for breast cancer. As the doctor/surgeon reviewed my records...I was floored. I am scheduled for a double mastectomy on October 16th. I am nervous but I know this is for a greater good. Not just for myself, but to tell the story to help someone else. I already have spoken to women that have had concerns about themselves. I encouraged them to see their doctors, and not to second guess, to make sure they are in the clear. I want to be a positive example of a woman who has had the courage to no longer keep silent but to encourage others to act proactively. Information only helps when it is told.

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Patricia T
Kansas City, KS

Stage 4 at 23

I was limping for a sprained quadricep for a while, moved to the crutches and one day at work on the crutches I had fallen. I ended up breaking my hip on my other side, later finding out the "strained quadricep" was 3 fractures from a disgusting cancer eating my bones. News to me considering I was only 22!!! Prior to the accident I had found a lump in the breast but with no cancer history and my age I figured it was a cyst. Completely wrong, Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Well I figured I'd live out my 5-10 years they gave me in pity, no I changed my entire attitude and stopped thinking why me and started thinking how am I going to kick this things butt? Doing a targeted treatment and radiation before any mastectomies and chemo I was a little nervous. The news I got today after my mammogram was amazing, the doctors cant find the lump nor the mass's that traveled to the lymph nodes. Now all I have left to do is finish up my chemo and to get rid of the rest of the buggers (mass's) in my body!!! I know God works in a mysterious way and I know I was CHOSEN for this for a reason. We aren't dealt a hand we cant handle!

Molly Waller
FORT WORTH, TX

Follow your instincts!!!

It wasn't my regular time for a mammogram, I was actually 6 months overdue, yet I felt an urging to make an appointment for a physical. There were no lumps, bumps or symptoms of anything suspicious, just an urging which I believe was God's interventio n in my life!. The mammogram should some "calcium" spots, but nothing of great concern, as did the ultrasound. Yet as a precaution a needle biopsy was ordered "just to make sure." Two weeks later I received a phone call from the physician. "You have DCIS cancer and we are scheduling surgery in one week." What? Cancer? I had repeatedly been assured it was probably nothing, yet the diagnosis was cancer! It was very small so only a lumpectomy was performed. DCIS is Ductal Carcinoma In Suto...which means we caught it early--Thank God! The cancer was very small, in a milk duct which is double walled. It had eaten through the inner wall, but not the outer wall of the duct. DCIS was explained as a very aggressive cancer, yet when caught early is only 3-5% likely to reoccur. The surgery was followed with 36 radiation treatments. Again the radiologist reiterated the importance of mammograms--"it saved your life!" Now, praise God, I am 2+ years cancer free and yes, I most definitely get my regularly scheduled mammograms and check ups! PLEASE ladies, get your mammos. They may save your life!!!

Deb
Stromsburg, NE

My Mother Lyndell The Two Time Breast Cancer Survivor

In 1995 My mother Lyndell Taylor was diagnosed over 20 years ago with her first breast cancer diagnosis.She had about 5 - 6 rounds of chemotherapy and a lumpectomy done on the left breast.Before that, she had the surgery and radiation treatment for around 6 weeks and it burned like nothing before. Several years have passed and we were faced with a recurrance of the breast cancer,in 2002, but it showed up in the right breast. She again had surgery a lumpectomy again and just radiation treatment and taking tamoxifen for the next five years.

In New Zealand we have Breast Cancer Awareness Month for the whole month of October which makes women aware of the need to have mammograms and to check your breasts for any changes.I have mammograms every year since the age of 40 and always never miss out having them and are grateful for the opportunity to have them for free.
My mothers birthday is on October the 15th 2014 and she will be 67 years old. I am amazed that she has survived that long and she will always be cherished by me her daughter Joanne.

http://articless.dollarwp.com

Joanne
Napier, New Zealand

Free Inspirational Book for Breast Cancer Awareness

On the 10th and 11th. Don't forget to grab a free copy of "Heartfelts" I hope the short stories with their uplifting message will be an inspiration for those dealing with life's trials! http://www.amazon.com/Heartfelts-P-S-Winn-ebook/dp/B00HXKE344/

Anonymous
kalispell, MT

Survivor2010

While on a trip with friends I found a lump in my right breast, I didn't think anything of it due to my Sarcoidosis. I just thought it was a lymph node and let it go. Finally in December 2009 I went to my doctor and he said we need to get a biopsy right away and things rolled fast. On Christmas Eve.2009 I found out I had triple negartive breast cancer and in January 22,2010 I underwent a lumpectomy with lymph node testing. It was hard going through this alone so I moved to be with my daughter I did about a year or so of chemo followed by radiation. This year will mark 5 years if all checks out on my follow up. I am so thankfull for my family and friends for all their support and wouldn't be here with out them. I have friends who have since gown through cancer and I always support them. I did my first walk a few years ago and was blown away by the amout of support by men women children. I AM A SURVIVOR.....

Lisa Hunt
Saint Petersburg, FL

Scarfy beats CANCER

At the age of 25 I always imagined myself going out with my friends, relaxing on holidays and generally having fun however, my life came to a crashing holt on 24/1/14 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer! It was a major shock to me, my family, friends and experts alike due to my age and the fact that no family member had suffered from cancer before.

My journey to conquer cancer started off positively when I was told after my lumpectomy the cancer had not spread to any of my lymph nodes due to identifying it at an early stage.

On 7/4 my treatment started with chemotherapy which consisted of 6cycles and thankfully went well. The side effects I experienced due to chemotherapy were the loss of appetite and severe mouth ulcers which led to a significant loss of weight. The most distressing side effect was losing my hair which may seem bizarre to many as I wear a headscarf but it had a huge emotional impact on me. I guess it was because hair is the most feminine characteristic of a woman which I felt was taken from me. For the first few days I was unable to look in the mirror however, this changed and now it does not bother me at all and forget at times that I had lost my hair.

My chemotherapy finished on 4/8 and my radiotherapy started a month later. I took part in a trial for 'Cancer Research UK' called 'Import' which consisted of 15 sessions of radiotherapy everyday excluding weekends. I've been lucky once again in that no major side effects have came about due to the treatment apart from feeling tired.

This overwhelming journey has now thankfully come to an end. I thank God for blessing me with an amazing family and incredible friends whom without I would not have come through this challenge. My battle with cancer may have come to an end but my journey does not stop here. I am hoping to work with the youth and the Asian community to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Sedra Hussain
Manchester, United Kingdom

A fun buddy day turns into every womans fear!!

In July on a follow up visit with my doctor for a virus she noticed I was over due for my mammography as well as herself! My BFF/Doctor suggested we do a buddy day and do our mammographies together! She said we will make it a fun day by following it with drinks and dinner!! She said quote on quote we will get our boobies squished and then go drink away the pain at happy hour!! LOL What an awesome idea and we looked so forward to doing this together! I scheduled the appointments for us and we went on August 29 2014. It was Labor day weekend so we didn't get results until the following Tuesday. Hers was negative Thank God! My showed a spiculated mass in left breast and needed to follow up with a sonogram. Sonogram confirmed mass and found suspicious findings in right as well. Biopsy followed and the news we all feared came in lobular invasive carcinoma in left and abnormal cells in right! Was sent immediately to surgeon and double mastectomy and reconstructive was scheduled for September 24 2014.Today and 2 weeks later post op I am very blessed and fortunate to have my doctor push me to do this with her!! If not for her and 6 months later it would have been much too late!! Yes you saved my life!! Doctor Roxanne Carfora / BFF! I can't urge you ladies enough the importance of routine mammographies! Not all breast cancers produce a lump as mine never did! No symptoms what so ever! How scary is that!! So please ladies you need to take this very seriously! I am 61 yrs old and looking so forward to celebrate many more!! I am waiting to see the oncologist to see what kind of treatment if any I will need!! I am praying that I will need none!! I am so grateful for all the support from my husband, family and friends without them I truly don't know how I would have gotten threw all this!! Forever grateful and much love to all. Jane

Jane Patrick
Ronkonkoma, NY