February 24, 2014, that was the day I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Other than my cousin, there was no history of breast cancer in my family; I had just turned 41 in January, was healthy as a horse and had no symptoms whatsoever, but I'm a firm believer that the routine mammogram I had just a week before saved my life.
Being told you have cancer is like having an out of body experience, you hear the words that the Dr is saying, but for me it was as though I was literally watching myself being told that I was now joining the battle with the millions of others that I either personally knew or had heard of that had this horrible disease.
I decided to have a mastectomy & learned after my surgery, that the cancer had grown in size since my original biopsy & had also spread to my first lymph node, therefore putting me on the chemotherapy track. I have to undergo 8 treatments & I already have one under my belt, which I came through with flying colors. The love and support that I've received from family and friends and complete strangers is outstanding. Having breast cancer has shed a whole new light for me; and I've learned not to take anything in life for granted. I wake up every day with a smile on my face & a positive attitude. Don't get me wrong, not every day is sunshine & rainbows for me & I certainly have my share of woe is me days and feeling sad and wondering "why me"? Thankfully those days are far and few between because I try my hardest to remain positive, not only for myself, but for those that are rallying behind me. While I still have a long road ahead of me, I'm very much looking forward to the end of this journey I've been put on & that final day when I can say "I kicked cancers butt"!
Lynn, MA
