I found out that I had breast cancer on December 17, 2007 after being called into my surgeon's office to get the results of a breast biopsy. This was a big shock to me and my family. I had gone regularly for yearly mammograms. Now only a few days before Christmas I was being sent for an MRI, a second mammogram, sonogram and biopsy to be told that it was in both breast and I must have surgery immediately to remove both breast. It was so hard to make it though the holidays but with a great family and strong faith in God, we made it. My surgery was done on January 11, 2008. After a few days, test results showed I had stage 1 cancer in my right breast and stage 2 her 2 positive in left breast with tumors in four nodes. I completed 5 months of chemo and 30 treatments of radiation the summer of 2008. It was pretty tough and I could not complete my year of herceptin because it was causing me to have heart problems. My last pet scan was done a few weeks ago on September 2, 2009 and it was good, no sign of cancer. That was a night of celebration for me and my family. We have had many celebrations through all of this as I have completed each phase of treatments and test.
I could never have made it through such a terrible ordeal without my faith in God, and my wonderful family and friends. I am considered a high risk cancer patient but I do not dwell on that and just feel blessed with each and every day that I am alive.
Lucedale, MS