Share Your Story

Sisters share breast cancer!!

I had a partial mastectomy in 1990 with radiation.
My lump showed up in my annual mammogram.
My younger sister had a partial mastectomy in 1991.
She had radiation and chemo as she had one lymph node involved.
Roni passed away 2 years ago after having chemo for three years
for colon and liver cancer, unrelated to her breast cancer.
Another sister, Phyllis had a partial mastectomy in 2000 with radiation.
Phyllis and I are doing well. We think positive!!
Myrna
Port Carbon, PA

Myrna Everly
Port Carbon, PA

On Remission since October 2007

I was diagnosed with left breast cancer May 2007 and a week later I had a Lumpectomy with a Sentinel Node Procedure and five days later I needed another Lumpectomy as there were residuals of cancer. Three weeks later I had the port inserted to begin Chemotherapy for which I had six sessions and after Radiation provided through a catheter that was inserted on my left breast. Radiation was for only for five days, twice a day. Ever since, I have been on remission and all I can say it wasn't easy but with the help of my family, my doctors and my co-workers who took care of me and were there for me at all times, made my life much easier. I had my mammograms performed on a yearly basis and thanks to this it was caught on time and my advise to everyone to do their mammogram on a yearly basis; I myself am here because of it.

Juana Maldonado
Miami, FL

DCIS

I was diagnosed after my annual mammogram in April 2007 with non-invasive DCIS. After having a lumpectomy & radiation therapy I am still cancer free 2 years later & taking my daily dose of tamoxifen. My mother died of breast cancer after a 2 year battle - she was only 56 yrs old. I recommend every women do self exams and get their mammograms.

Barb M
San Jose, CA

My Mother, My Friend, My Hero, My Angel

I lost my mom to breast cancer on 11/6/08 1 day after my second daughter was born. I know she is watching over us everyday and that if she would have had a mammogram she might still be here today please take time to have this done so you don't have to write this same story my mom was 61 to young to go to heaven. Mom I love you forever and always.

Love Sara

Sara
Maryville, TN

Chelsea's Birthday

My story is one of love and hope. Chelsea Hancock turned 16 on July 24th 2009. To celebrate her sweet 16 she decided she wanted to host a fundraiser for the NBCF. Her reason behind this idea was her grandmother Julia Hancock who she lost in 1998 to breast cancer, mainly due to the lack of funding so she could get to her chemo treaments. So we started planning and soliciting donations. We scheduled the event for July 25th. At the time this barely gave us a month to get everything together. Even small fundraisers take alot of work. then suddenly word got out and this little sweet 16 event turned into a massive party. The whole area stepped up to support Chelsea, we had a free luncheon, live auction, and a local mammogrm center sent us a guest speaker and donated a free mammogram. We had over 65 area business's donate to the auction. The local news paper, radio station, and a news channel out of Louisville came out and did interviews. Chelsea's sweet 16 was an awesome success. We raised over $3000.00 for the NBCF ( money is still coming in at this time) and made many new friends along the way. The NBCF gave us permission to use their LOGO, and we set up a web site for Chelsea www.ChelseaNBCF.com . God places us all together when the reason is truly good and takes us to the top. Thank you Chelsea for letting me be a part of this awesome event, you touched me deeply with your love and conviction to this cause. Not many girls would willingly give up their 16th birthday. God Bless You as I am Blessed by the gift of knowing you.
Alicia Armstrong

Alicia Armstrong
Elizabethtown, KY

Survivor's story

Hi - With no visible lump or pain, lump was detected by mammogram.
We diagonoised in the first stage itself. Got lumpectomy done.
Its seven years now and i am leading a happy life - Got both my sons married. and still continuing my job.Thanks to GOD - for mammogaram is blessing in disguise.

Cancer when detexted at an early stage is curable. It is not a killer disease.Lead a normal life while under treatment and everything will work out really well

Anonymous
***, United Arab Emirates

Five Years later and Cancer Free

My favorite all time saying and belief is... "God Is Good"... and He truly is. I was diagnosed with breast cancer September 2004 and to me that was the most devastating news anyone wanted to hear. I had watched my dad and my sister both suffer through cancer until their final days on earth. Reason enough for me to start getting mammograms at an early age. I was 28 years old when I had my first one and every two years after that until I turned 40 and then I had one every year. For me, that was a good thing because when the doctor thought he saw something during a routine mammogram, it made it easier to confirm it because of previous film. I never expected to have to fight that dreadful disease, but I did, which shows that none of us are exempted. Fearful at first of the outcome I had to continue to trust God to get me through this and HE did!

My surgeon informed me that I had Carcinoma In Situ and he assured me that we were in good shape because of the early detection. I had a lumpectomy and went through six weeks of radiation and now taking (possibly my last 6 months of) a cancer treating drug (tamoxifen) for preventative measures. I am thankful for the continued research and the constant upgrade of technology which enables the medical staff to see what the eye itself can not.

I encourage all of you ladies (and men) to get your screenings done and not think that you are too young or it will not happen to you, cancer doesn't target any particular group. With God all things are possible and I believe that one day, we will beat this ugly thing called Cancer.

Vanessa Abron
Sulphur Springs, TX

Giving Thanks

I am a 7 year Cancer
Survivor. I was diagnosed
with Cancer in December
2000.

I had 2 Surgeries, Chemo
and Radiation. I finished in January 2002, what a relief.

I thank God everyday for
the Mammogram that saved
my life. Where the Cancer
was found it would have taken years for the Dr. to have found it. It would have been too late.

I thank God everyday for the
Dr.s, the nurses and my family
who were there for me everyday
through it all.

Thank you so much from the
bottom of my heart.

Yolanda Simone
Rochester, NY

An extra scary Halloween!

I will never forget Halloween 2005. I was at work and the phone rang. It was the doctor's office asking to see me - preferably now. Since I had been going through mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, etc. I asked if they found cancer and the answer was yes.

Having just lost my younger sister to cancer in August, it was a nightmare to call my other two sisters and niece and tell them. We hadn't even had time to mourn Tona and now I was starting my own journey. Two hours later my sisters, niece and I were sitting with a surgeon. It is so strange - I went to work healthy and now I am deciding my options.

Having gone through my sister's journey of chemo for six years I didn't want chemo - I had to work to support myself and couldn't be sick. So I agreed to a lumpectomy (which they had to do twice and then I had an infection), radiation and Herceptin.

It will be four years on Halloween and during this time I have had one scare and had a lump removed that was not cancer. Other than that it is actually hard to remember all the tests, treatments or even that I had cancer.

A friend and breast cancer survivor told me when diagnosed "Your life as you knew it will never be the same." She was right - I try and enjoy each day to the fullest and love my family and friends more and more. Life is precious!

Jackie VerVoort
Appleton, WI

Thank you

I would like to say Thank You to all the people who click and support this website. I know from personal experience how important the free mammograms are. I found a small lump about a month after losing my job and my health insurance. I went to the local health clinic and they gave me a voucher for a free mammogram, at that time my tumor was found and I had a radical modified mastectomy which saved my life. The tumor was caught just inches from my lumph node system and I did not have to undergo radation. I have been cancer free for 5 years, I never take these years for granted. I now have 4 grandchildren I would have never known without the free mammogram. Thank you Thank you Thank you

Tina Marquardt
Ogden, UT