I'M 53 YRS OLD AND I WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED IN 1990 @ THE AGE OF 32. WHAT A SHOCKER FOR A YOUNG MOM WITH 2 YOUNG CHILDREN. BUT WITH THE HELP OF GOD, DOCTORS,MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS I WAS ABLE TO BEAT THE BEAST. I CHOSE TO HAVE A MASTECTOMY FOR 2 REASONS, 1 - MY SISTER DIED @ THE AGE OF 28 FROM BREAST CANCER. AND 2-I WANTED THE BEST CHANCE OF SURVIVAL. I HAD 6 MONTHS OF CHEMO. THROUGH THE CHEMO I WORK THE WHOLE TIME. EVERY THREE WEEKS I WOULD TAKE CHEMO ON THUR. AND BE BACK TO WORK ON MON. I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SAVED MY SANITY.AFTER CHEMO ALL MY TEST WERE GOOD NEWS. 10 YEARS WENT BY AND I THOUGHT" I'VE BEAT THE CANCER." THEN IN AUGUST OF 1999 ,WHILE I WAS ON VACATION, I FOUND A LUMP IN THE OTHER BREAST . IT TURNED OUT TO BE A DIFFERENT TYPE CANCER FROM THE FIST TIME .BY THE TIME I HAD THE MASTECTOMY IN OCTOBER THE LUMP HAD GONE FROM THE SIZE OF A PEA TO THE SIZE OF A GOLF BALL. SO OF COURSE THE DOCTORS WERE TALKING CHEMO , RADIATION AND STEM CELL TRANSPLANT. LO AND BEHOLD AFTER THE MASTECTOMY THE PATHOLOGY CAME BACK THAT NO LYMPH NODS WERE INVOLVED. HURRAY!!! JUST CHEMO AND RADIATION. 10 YRS LATER I'M NOW A SURVIVOR FOR THE SECOND TIME.. SO WHEN I HERE SOMEONE SAY ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE I BELIEVE IT.

DARLENE HALL
STUART, FL