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Breast Cancer Survivor Twenty Five Years

I was diagnosed with breast cancer age forty three. I am sixty eight years old now. I was twenty nine when my mother passed away. Two brothers passed away with cancer. Keeping a diary can help so much when you are alone. I wrote in my diary when I was happy, sad, or in pain. I had three small children at the time my mom had cancer. I had gone through a divorce from my husband. When my mom did go to the doctor, the cancer had spread. He gave my mom a year to live. She only lived six months. At the end I was there to take care of my mom. We had always spent time with each other.
I was born with a disability and I did not walk until I was three or four years old. I had six brothers and four sisters. I was the only one born with a physical disability. I could not go outside to play with my sisters and brothers. My grandma stayed with us and she made quilts. I asked my grandma if I could have some of the scraps, a needle and thread. She asked, "for what?" So I can make my doll some cloths. I was about seven years old. My mom made me a rag doll and my doll had some beautiful clothes. My mom took me to a Cripple Children Clinic in Atlanta, GA. I had to wear special made shoes with braces attached to the shoes. This helped me to stand and walk. I had my first surgery age thirteen. I am a twenty five years breast cancer survivor. I have three children, four grand children, and one great grand daughter.
I still make doll clothe. I am a published author of two books. I wrote the books from the diary I kept during the time I was taking my treatments. I had chemo and radiation. My left breast was removed. I had reconstruction surgery of my breast. I had my mammogram on July 22, 2014 and I am good for another year.

Delores Anderson Brown
THOMASVILLE, GA

My Beautiful Rebellion

Actually, I felt really stuck and this manifested as a cancerous lump in my breast. I was 34 and had no history of it in my family AND I was not living my purpose. I had not had the time to finish the novel Id been working on. Id put my dreams aside for a monthly pay check.

But now my body was trying to talk to me and this time I listened. I rose up and set myself free.

Id like to share part of my Freedom Manifesto; an ideology shaped by my journey to health and happiness :

1. We will consciously create our reality

I had already been studying the power of the mind for more than a year when I received the diagnosis and so I got to work on myself immediately. In the space of the week between the ultrasound and operation, the 3.4cm lump had already decreased by 1cm.

What I realized was that our emotions are creating our future. We all hear about the benefits of positive thinking, but actually the positive state is more important than the thinking. Before I had often times been sinking into despair and victimhood, but now I knew better.

2. We will listen to our bodies

My recovery has been quite a journey in trusting my inner voice and emotions. It is not easy to go against what a doctor tells you that you should be doing, but I did what felt right to me and I have been rewarded greatly for this. I didnt ignore everything but I took the time to make my own decisions and I am proud of who I am because of it today.

On my journey to health, I have been supported by many holistic professionals and have been told I just have to stop thinking so much, breathe and be happy (it sounds so easy, right?). Our bodies are the most brilliant and wise creatures on this planet, yet weve forgotten how to listen to them.

with love,
Mireille

Mireille Parker
Lucerne, Switzerland

Get checked! Life is so precious.

You can be a victim of cancer, or a survivor of cancer. Its a mindset, says well-known author, Dave Pelzer, and I decided to use this advice and take the positive path of a survivor. On February 13, 2014 I was diagnosed with aggressive, invasive stage 2 breast cancer, and even though my mother died of cancer in 2009, I intend to rise above the odds and stoically fight this disease.

Although physically struggling these last few months - weight loss, fatigue, achiness, and hair loss due to the chemotherapy treatments - I continue to maintain an optimistic attitude during this long, arduous road to recovery. Doctors claim that if chemotherapy is ineffective, radiation is necessary after the double mastectomy. My double mastectomy is scheduled for August 25th. I will not know if the tumor is dead until a few days after the mastectomy and I am positive that radiation will not be needed....or at least I hope not. If I receive the all clear then and my DIEP flap reconstruction is scheduled for October 6th.

In my heart I know that I will conquer this disease, move forward, and lead a long, healthy, and active life!

I implore all women, even those under forty, to give themselves monthly breast exams. It can save your life!

***I am 37 years old, this does NOT run in my family and was not initally found on my annual exam. I found it myself. Please be aware of your bodies ladies.

Sabrina
Orlando, FL

Chrissy Nieman's story 10/4/13

I found a lump the size of a pea in my left breast and felt a searing pain up to my armpit when sleeping. Had a needle biopsy but couldn't draw any fluid, was told it was a fibroid cyst but if it was causing me pain I could do a lumpectomy. 2 days later I received a phone call and was told I had cancer. After a dbl mastectomy I discovered that it had made it to 9 of my lymph nodes. I then had 22 weeks of chemo, 28 treatments of radiation and a complete hysterectomy. I will undergo my first reconstructive surgery In December. I thank God I am able to fight it, and am thankful for everyday with my kids and husband. Cancer has made me stronger.

Chrissy nian
Hagerstown, MD

Mellisa Battle

It was March 19,2014 I had a breast biopsy and was waiting on the surgeon to come in as he came in the room he put his hand on my shoulder and said well it was what we feared cancer. I remember feeling like I was in some nightmare then I started crying feeling as though I'm going to die this way! They ran some more testing and I decided on s lumpectomy so surgery was May 13 when I awoke my family told me the cancer had went into my lymph nodes and I'd need chemotherapy so again another nightmare I decided to participate in a group study to possibly eliminate needing the chemo unfortunately the team decided I did in fact need chemo so I was told six rounds of chemo 33 rounds of radiation to follow. I started chemo June 19 the side affects were terrible and continue to be I'm going into my third round this week. I have an awesome support team my 15 year old son my mama and my Aunty and Uncle they have been amazing. Unfortunately I've missed a ton of work lost a lot of money so the stress has added to what I'm already enduring. I've decided I'm done being a victim of this all I will keep fighting as I promised my son I'd finish chemo and I know in my heart I will win this battle I know God has some amazing things waiting for me to conquer this sickness. I pray for any who suffer with cancer and pray that God be with you all and pull u to that finish line. God bless you all..

mellisa parmann
marysville, MI

Go, Fight, Win!!

My journey started with a sneeze at work. That day, September 27, 2103, that sneeze broke my left humerus. The doctor demanded X-Ray after X-Ray and I didn't understand why but he saw a spot near the break that he was determined to investigate. They kept me in the hospital for 7 days in the Oncology Unit which totally baffled me Finally, an Oncologist came in and explained that the spot they saw near the break was consistent with malignant lesions they see on bones. They transferred me to another hospital to see a specialist who could do a bone biopsy safely. On October 10 at my follow up visit, the Orthopedic Oncologist told me I had breast cancer and I needed to see an Oncologist within the next 48 hours prior to him putting a rod and pins in my arm. I was told I have metastatic breast cancer but the prognosis would be better if it only affected the bones. Immediately, I did what I would do in any situation, my husband and I prayed and we have not stopped. I prayed to be made whole. God started with my back. I had back pain for a year prior to my diagnosis, which turned out to be a collapsed vertebrae due to lesions. The radiologist noticed the vertebrae and sent me to a neurosurgeon. I had back surgery in December and I was discharged in 3 days because I was walking without pain. The next phase was radiation. Only 5 sessions. Praise God! The final phase....Chemo! It was game on! I went every week since 1/22/14. The only real side effects I experienced from chemo were loss of taste for a couple of days and hair loss. As of June 9, I won! There is no evidence of disease and on 7/30 I complete my last chemo. This journey has been a roller coaster ride but I am being made whole physically, mentally, and spiritually. God has been guiding us every step of the way and it is only by his grace I can stand here smiling. Winning!

Darria Grandberry
Somerset, NJ

MAMMOGRAM SAVED MY LIFE

In 2001' at age of 51, went for check up and mammogram. Doctor couldn't feel any lumps in my best. Got mammogram thinking everything okay. Got card needed to have another mammogram. I had a cluster close to the breast bone. It couldn't be felt not did it shows up in an ultrasound. As a result, it was caught early and removed it. The mammogram saved my life and i didn't have to have chemo or radiation. Since then I've had melanoma, precancerous colon and am not fighting pancreatic cancer. Been on chemo treatments for almost three years. It has spread but i am still surviving.

Christine Seeley
Jacksonville, NC

You Can Make It

September 12th, 2014 would make 5 years since my mom has passed away from breast cancer and now my aunt is battling the same thing. My entire family on my mother's side took the gene testing to see if we have the genes and we are awaiting our results. Two years ago my step son who is only 9 experienced the same thing with his mother, so now I am a full time mom. I am glad that I can be there for him. As a child of a breast cancer victim I felt so robbed and hurt and I can only imagine how my step son feels at this time. I just want to encourage everyone on this site to don't give up. You can make it. Keep fighting and keep pushing and don't give up. I've seen some people who were able to go into remission. Today I would like to share with you my song 100 meters. This whole process felt like 1500 meters instead of 100 and I must say thank you to God for being with me through this journey. Know that you can make it. Please be encouraged.

Veola Stewart
Nassau, Bahamas

Why not me..

I was in a accident in early August 2011. I flipped my car, my seatbelt came unlatched and I landed on my right side on the middle console. I walked away without a scratch.
By the end of August I felt a very sharp pain on my right side at my breast area. I was thinking it must be because of that wreck. I schedule an appt with my doctor and she found a spot on my breast and sent me for a ultrasound.
I went to my appt and they found something and had me go ahead an have a mammogram. At the age of 33 I was having my first mammogram. CLEARLY the spot was noticeable.
They made me an appt with another doctor that specializes in that sort of thing and he said with my age and my history of no one having breast cancer it's 99.9% will be benign. So I op to get it removed for testing in mid sept of 2011.
Surgery went smooth I went to the beach at the end of sept. They was suppose to let me know the results and they never called I never went to my follow up cause everything was fine. Or so I thought, in December of 2011 the spot was back and felt even bigger. I had a appt in Jan 2012 and I went to the same doctor to tell them it was back only for them to tell me I had Cancer. It was triple negative breast cancer if that wasn't bad enough I tested positive for the BRCA 1 gene. Which meant I had to do the highest dose of chemo and followed by 6 weeks radiation. They said that the hormones was the fuel to any breast cancer so I had both breast removed and a complete hysteromy all within 2 years.
Now it is July of 2014 I am cancer free with just having reconstruction surgery. People ask me did you ever ask yourself Why you? I responded Why not me...
God works in mysterious ways!!

Kelly
Ansted, WV

My Battle With Breast Cancer

In September of 1989 my husband discovered a small lump in my left breast. I was only 36, but decided to have a mammogram . I had a sonogram, a needle biopsy, and then the lump biopsied. My doctor called back that afternoon, and said I had Mucinous Carcinoma.
I had a Modified Radical Mastectomy and all of my lymph nodes removed. Because I was 36 and my cancer was hormone receptive, I had to have 6 months of chemotherapy. I had Adriamycin, Cytoxin, and Methotrexate. I didn't lose my hair, but I had never been so sick in my life. I made it through, though and knew I was going to be fine.
In August 2013. I noticed a burning sensation deep in my right breast. I went to my primary care physician and he set me up with a mammogram and a sonogram. They noticed something right away and set me up to have a biopsy. My doctor called about 4 days after my biopsy to tell me I had Advanced Lobular Carcinoma. It was too widespread for a lumpectomy, so I had another mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy. This time there was lymph node involvement, so I would have chemotherapy first, and then radiation.
I started chemo in October 2013 and finished in February 2014. I had to have a port put in because my veins were all shot by my third treatment. It's much easier with a port. After about 6 weeks to recuperate, I had 5 weeks of radiation. I thought it was going to be easier than chemo until I finished with second degree burns. I finished radiation in May.
I had a CT SCAN on my chest and abdomen, and they came back clear. So far, so good.
I am blessed with a family that loves me and some very special friends who have been there with me every step of the way. If it comes back again, we will fight again. I have a strong faith in God, and I believe in the healing power of love and laughter.

Penny Alexander
Ocklawaha,, FL