I worked for our family Doctor with part of my job being to make the referral calls to Specialist for our patients.The one referral call I never expected to make was for my own sister for an emergency appointment with a surgeon.The adrenaline rush kicked in when she came through the clinic door and I saw the look of total fear in her face.It took only seconds into the examination for our Doctor to tell her she needed to go for a mammogram right away.After a mammogram and ultrasound our worst fear became real,it was cancer and was very serious.Our family became paralyzed with fear.From that moment on DeeDee's attitude changed.A partial mastectomy was performed and she was home to begin Christmas celebrations.To everyone's amazement she began her chemotherapy 2 days into the new year and she never looked back.She spoke freely to her students about her cancer,surgery and treatment.I was so proud of her with her new outlook on life as she forged ahead.Her sense of humor was the bright spot of everyone's day.We talked daily, often quite a few times, throughout her chemo and as sick as she was,she still had this wonderful way of making me laugh.Her six months of treatment ended up being almost twelve and then began the radiation treatments, twenty five treatments in a row.DeeDee remained so strong and full of humor. To this day I cannot believe how much we laughed through her year of treatment.
DeeDee has become my inspiration and I look up to her with such awe for everything she went through and how she stayed so positive.
It is now 12 years later and DeeDee remains cancer free and has kept her sense of humor about her cancer.
Fort Saskatchewan, Canada