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God has a Plan

My journey began on February 17 2014. I went for what I thought would be an annual exam, nothing out of the ordinary like years past. Something did not look right to the Drs. on the following Thursday I went for an Ultrasound. Well lets be sure they said so I was set up for a Biopsy just to see what the unusual spot was.
The Dr was kind but as soon as he tried to remove fluid ,he found a problem it was hard the top was hard and the bottom was mushy he said. Dr S could not get any thing out of the lump. a titanium chip was implanted and the Journey went forward. I had 8 weeks of Chemo, my hair fell out I was sick and felt like everything I ate tasted like metal.. Thank God for My church. GOD HAS A PLAN. They were supportive. I joined RELAY FOR LIFE a Walk in Kennebunk to end Cancer in our time in Memory of a Dear Friend Jody Berren who lost her battle after 7 years, and for Delia Dupree who had won her battle. I am tired most of the time, sadly I have gained a little weight. My weight is still bigger than I would Like , and I am still bald but on May 6th I was told the cancer is Gone... but I have Passed this test God showed me the Love of folks who did not have to care but did. I do Not take any thing for granted any longer In Gods Plan we never know what we will be given. I just pray I will always remember that Never take advantage each day to say I Love You, Or Thank You to those who mean the most to you. I look every day to find some thing Positive to be Greatful for and Now because of Cancer it is not so hard to find. I could be a lot worse.. THANK You for letting me share...

Diane
Springvale, ME

Keep the Faith - God is in Control

I have been happily married to my best friend for 23 years with two beautiful daughters, 19 & 12. Our lives completely changed on March 12, 2012. At the age of 43, I was diagnosed with Stage 1A triple negative breast cancer. I had just had a mammogram with normal results in November 2011. Because of my family history and my sister being a 5 year survivor at the time, I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction followed by 6 rounds of chemo. No radiation was needed because there was no lymph node involvement.
Two days before my surgery, my boss called to tell me that my company was closing and my last day would be September 28. That meant no health insurance after the end of that month. I finished chemo on August 23 and had my final reconstructive surgery on September 12. So I was able to finish my treatment and reconstruction before my insurance ended. My company closed due to foreign competition, so I qualified for Trade benefits along with unemployment. In my job searches, I applied for a position with the state agency that administers the Trade benefits and got the job. I had to be covered by a health plan within 62 days or be faced with pre-existing conditions. My health benefits started on day 61. Is all this coincidence? Not hardly!
God is in control and without my faith, I don't know how I would have made it through some of the darkest days of my life. He blessed me with the most supportive husband, children, family and friends. My sister has also been there for me every step of the way. There is much more life ahead and I plan to live it to bring Him the glory!

Julie B.
Camden, SC

Never Me!

I never thought I would hear these words: "It is Cancer! It is Malignant! Your MRI is 5plus!" No never me! It Has been over a year now since I went under surgery to remove both breast, and the beginning or reconstruction surgery. I felt ugly, and remembering looking at myself and said to the mirror "I look like smushed cookies!"
No one ever told me how bad it was going to be to go through reconstruction surgeries. (5 so far.) It was extremely bad, and the pain from the doctor taking tissue from a muscle from my back and graphing it over the front of me to make new boobs is not anything I can really describe, but I can tell you this it has not stopped. What I was told and what was done to me was not the same. I have scarring from by back all around to the other side of my back. The weekly injections were horrific and the extenders felt like barbwire. It was truly torture! The implants have not found themselves at home, they move and pinch and pull on me and tender to the touch. This is after over a year. It has been a very painful, frustrating year, yet I am also very grateful. I have a bigger God, bigger than Cancer. He healed me completely from the Cancer that day on the operating table. The tissue they removed was 100 percent gone. The doctors were amazed and confused. No chemo or radiation! I've been very blessed. My surgeon said He was sorry he had to remove the very large masses, but it was because of all the praying people we had praying for me God heard their prayers and healed me for His glory. So I must share that nothing is impossible! I went through a lot, and God will get me through a lot more. I believe He has a lot more for me to do. I want to encourage anyone facing the time when a doctor tells you the same, that there is HOPE and there are MIRACLES.

Kay Hinson
Lafayette, TN

What breast cancer didn't take

When I got breast Cancer, We didn’t have health insurance. The Cost was Tremendous, and we are now in debt a lot. We had to sale our store, and my husband took a lower paying job so that we could get insurance, which by the way after having Cancer twice is Extremely High. I think That I focused on those things so that I didn’t have to focus on the fact that I had Breast Cancer, That I lost both of my breast and some lymph nodes, I didn’t want to admit that my body now had limitations, I didn’t want to admit that my Body was doing weird things. Most of all I didn’t want to admit that I didn’t have control over myself.
What Breast Cancer didn’t take from me was the will to survive; it didn’t take my family and friends. After the Cancer I found a wonderful Church family, because through the whole ordeal, my other church family wasn’t there. I went right back to work a week after they removed both of my breasts, and hopefully it gave someone else a better outlook on life. It didn’t take my life, I fought the good fight. It made me lean on God so much more than I Ever had, and I hope I never lose that relationship with him, because there are times when no one saw me cry that he did. Jesus is the great comforter. I know he is a God of restoration and that one day these bills will be gone, and I can start saving for reconstruction.
The reason I wrote this was for the ones who are just now facing it. It will be okay, you are stronger than you think. If you ever need anyone to talk to or just to vent to I’m here…

Stacy O'Neal
Delhi, LA

Crazy Insurance and their Policies..

A couple of months ago i noticed a small bump right under the skin of my left breast. I went to the Doctor to get it checked out and she is positive that it is just a fat deposit. So she wrote me a prescription to have a mammogram done, just to ease my worries. The way she wrote the mammogram prescription, it would be deemed a diagnostic mammogram. So i called my insurance company to find out how much it would cost me to get the mammogram done. A diagnostic mammogram will cost me up to the max of my deductible ($2500) BUT i am allowed 1 screening mammogram up to the age of 40 (i am 39) and it wont cost me anything. How crazy is this? Its the same procedure, i assume. Do they do different types of mammograms? I don't know how anyone can afford insurance, deductibles and coinsurance to have cancer. When i told my husband, one of the first things i said to him was we cant afford for me to have cancer. How do you survive if you don't have the money to pay for it? And this is the main reason it took me 2 months to tell my husband and go to the doctor. I know a lot of responses are will be your life is more important that money, trust me I know that. I have an 8 month old grandson that i want to see grow up. But if you don't have the money to pay for it, what happens? This has got to be the most scariest thing a women has to face and how do you face it if you cant pay for it?
Well anyways I called back my doctor and told her that if she was certain that this was a fat deposit than i am not doing the mammogram. I am not paying up to $2500 for a diagnostic mammogram. Well guess what? Great doctor that she is sent me a new prescription for a screening mammogram and i have my appointment June 4.

Anonymous
Austell, GA

My journey into the unknown

I feel brave enough today to share my story. On the 5th of April I was diagnosed with Early Breast Cancer. Stage 1 grade 3. I have since had a lumpectomy and had three lymph nodes removed.I'm recovering well and the pathology report came back with the news that the cancer hasn't spread to my lymph nodes which is great. Unfortunately the lump was bigger than first thought ,so I will go back in to have more breast tissue removed. I have had great support from my family and friends but have been surprised at some good friends who have not known what to say or do say have said" I thought it best to leave you alone". I don't want sadness or sympathy but support, encouragement and positive people to help me through this journey I'm about to take.When I have recovered from surgery I will start chemo and radiation therapy. This scares me a little as I really don't know what to expect. I feel lucky that I found it early and know that I can get through this, so many women have lost their battle with breast cancer. In the next few weeks I will shave my hair off before cancer has a chance to take it from me.
I hope that by sharing my story women who have started treatment or in the process of, or completed their last round of chemo can help me with your inspirational stories
I"m a wife and Mother of two beautiful children. I'm 41 years old.

Donna
Victoria, Australia

Cancer

I am a survivor. My mother did not survive and I have a cousin that is currently fighting.
Cancer sucks!

Anonymous
Opdyke, IL

Not Me

Mothers Day 2008 I noticed a lump on my left breast while I was showering. I figured it was just a fiber cyst because I get them often. Once it didn't go away I went in to get a ultrasound, they said everything looked fine no need to be alarmed. After another X-ray still nothing. I went in one more time and said listen something is not rite.
They did the biopsy immediately. My results were stage 4b breast cancer at the age off 33. It was time to be aggressive ..lumpectomy ..chemo and radiation. The weekend before I was having girls nite out smiling with not a care in the world. Two weeks later I was hooked to chemo machines, in the hospital through all treatments because I was so sick from therapy. Crying to be with my babies, never gave up hope. I never said Why Me but Not Me.
My babies were so strong and gave me so much strength. I'm now 4yrs in remission and stronger than ever.
Love~Live~Laugh💗

LaTanyia Wilson
Charlotte, NC

Finally Finished Chemo

Diagnosed with Stage 3C breast cancer in October of 2013 after having a benign tumor removed. The cancer never showed on mammogram or ultrasound, glad I had the biopsied tumor removed or we would have never known the cancer was hiding nearby. I urge all women to get tumors removed even if they are benign. I had a single breast mastectomy with reconstruction and 37 lymph nodes removed and 20 were cancerous. I just finished chemo on May 2nd 2014 and am about to start radiation. Its been tough but I will never stop fighting. Friends and family are your best support. Keep fighting!

Lori

Lori Pescatore
Doylestown, PA

My Goodbye Letter to Cancer

Dear Cancer,

Today was my last day of active treatment, and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to write you a letter. I would've written sooner but I was super busy kicking your ass. You've been apart of my life for far too long. You're the greatest enemy I've ever known and the biggest thief. I've seen you steal the hopes and dreams of so many. Too many. As a young child, I had to watch helplessly as you inflicted unimaginable suffering upon my mother. Not that she didn't give you one hell of a fight. She did! In the midst of all that suffering, I saw a woman, with all of the odds stacked against her, use the power of sheer will, faith in God and unconditional love for her children take you a few extra rounds. You see Cancer, she was the ultimate example of strength and fortitude. And that example was a powerful weapon in my arsenal. And what about my real life superhero, Laura Gannon?! I bet you never saw her coming. She kept me focused and strong every single day of this fight, loving me through the toughest rounds. And while my wife was reason enough to fight, there was my little girl, my sweet Madeleine. She has a few superpowers of her own. I love her with every cell in my body and I sure as hell wasn't about to let you take from her what you took from me. Cancer, while I am proud and grateful to have won this battle, I realize that until we find a cure for you, the war continues. I vow to keep fighting for all the soldiers we have lost and for all the warriors, present and future.

Signed,

Riese's Daughter

Kristine
Bay Shore, NY