This year I turned 60 ! I am happy, healthy, and living my life as much in the now as I have learned how !
It is hard to believe that half my life ago, I was fighting for my life !
Thirty years ago, I found a lump in my breast , and my life changed forever. As a nurse, I was well aware of the disease of breast cancer. Perhaps because I already had a young aunt who had a mastectomy. Perhaps, because I cared for women with metastatic disease, in my work at the hospital.
I was fortunate to have the "new" option called lumpectomy, so I opted for this breast sparing surgery. It was the 1980's.
All my lymph nodes where removed and 9 out of 15 where positive for cancer. My treatment : 6 weeks of daily radiation to my chest, followed by 12 months of chemotherapy (five toxic drugs), every 3 weeks !
The 12 months proved to be challenging to my abilities to work as a nurse, and to be the mother I needed to be, to my two little girls. It was the hardest 12 months of my life.
With support, humor, and prayers, and determination , I made it through. My priorities changed, I grew in my faith, and was grateful to be alive !
I received Tamoxifen for 6 years (another "new" treatment), until my mammogram showed recurrent cancer in the same breast.
Then I had to have a mastectomy. Gratefully, there were no signs of disease anywhere else in my body.
By then, my aunt had lost her battle with breast cancer , and a cousin was diagnosed and also lost hers . I attended her funeral 6 weeks after my mastectomy.
It took a long time for me to believe that I was going to win my battle. And I have.... and I was changed forever, for the better !
Cancer is horrible, but you can survive it, and triumph ! But first , detect it ! Do your SBE and get your mammogram as recommended.
Live well
Grantham, NH