Cancer?

I had just separated from my husband when I discovered a lump in my breast. The biopsy came back benign but the surgeon didn't like the looks of it and wanted to remove it and that's when they found cancer. It all seemed so unreal. From there it was all the testing, chemo and radiation. I just finished everything after a year and a half.

A man I work with was just diagnosed with prostate cancer. He said I was his inspiration! Wow! Everyone thought I was so strong while I went through this. Living on my own and so far away from my closest friends and family, what choice did I have? I HAD to work for the money and the insurance. And I had to be there for my son. So, I just had to push through. I told everyone that cancer was really easy compared to so many other issues in life. I was still very sad about my separation and what had led up to it. And we were all still dealing with the terrible tragedy of my son being molested just two years earlier. Those matters of the heart are far more difficult to bear than what I was facing now. And maybe it was because this was happening to me and not a loved one, so I could somehow handle it better. When something happens to your kids and you can't protect them you feel helpless.

This may sound crazy, but going through chemo was a good time in my life. It was a time when I didn't think about the stupid, petty issues we do so many times. Now that I'm "back to normal" I find myself fretting over really dumb things again. I just need to remind myself of where I've been.

Anonymous
Logan, OH

today is my 1th birthday :-)

Hi all together,

today, one year ago I found the knot in my breast.

It was a hard year with tears and fear but also with hope and laughing!

I killed this bastard inside of me. I WAS STRONGER!!!!!

I survived all the painful things. I SURVIVED AND THE BITCH IS DEAD :-)

And this is what I want to shout out to all of you who are at the beginning:

You can be stronger, you will be stronger! Kill it! No Mercy! Kill it.

After all I feel now stronger and full of the joys of life :-)

Love to all of you

willy from Frankfurt/Germany

cornelia called Willy :-)
Frankfurt, Germany

Survivor

Let's start back when I was 29 I am now 41 I found a lump they told me you have breast cancer. I felt at that moment was like my world was turned up side down. Decided I wanted to live for my 3 children so I fought the cancer and the doctors said we got all the cancer. Flash back to when I was 31 diagnosed again found a lump on my neck while scratching. I received a stem cell transplant.I was feeling like my world was turned upside down doctors said got all the cancer. A year and three days later age 32 was scratching my neck again found another lump. The doctors confirmed my worst nightmare again cancer had returned. I did all the treatments, doctor said got all the cancer. Back in for a mammogram found something again age 38 cancers back again devastated again, doctors said removed all cancer. Age 40 found skin cancer on breast and lump in breast had breast removed and now today having other breast removed and reconstruction end of July well I am still here and fighting want everyone to fight to live as much as you need to.

linda
sunbury, PA

My Little Miricle.

Imagine my surprise!! 42 years old and going to have a baby!!!! I had one child, a 12 year old boy who was (and still is) my Pride and Joy! Long story short," . On Christmas Day 2006 I found out I was going to be a Mom again! I was in a state of Shock and at the same time Estatic. I was going to have another baby.! All went well until my 7th month. While doing my monthly self breast exam, I found a lump in my left breast. I started to panic, then reminded myself that I was pregnant, and it was most likley a Milk duct that was clogged. I made sure to tell my Doctor the next day at my appt. My Doctor examined me and said he just wasn't sure and had me set up an appt with the Breast Center. . I was three weeks from my due date, 2weeks from my planned c-section. My Breast was bi-opsied, and the next day at my Dr appt I was Told I had Breast Cancer.My first though as I sat there was, "I am going to die" My very next thought was, Oh No I am NOT!!!!! They scheduled me for a c-section the next day, I had another beautiful baby boy. I chose a lumpectomy. I underwent 6 months of chemo, 32 radiation treatments, and have been caner free for two years. I will beat this, I will see my children get older, and I will, someday become a Grandma." My oncologist told me that.....If I had not gotten Pregnant, I would not have found that that lump, my Cancer was hormonal. Being pregnant made it easier to find. I still "Check Myself" every month. And I cherish every moment with my family!

Diana Eggleston
Phoenix, AZ

Garden Show

My appointment at the Hospital to get my results of Breast Cancer was one I will never forget!. It was the day the annual Garden Show was on

at the Exhibition Building opposite the Hospital......People were passing

me by in their anticipation to see this wonderful show while I felt sad at the

knowledge of the bad news that may await me!

Of course the news was what I expected and from then on my journey took me from a mastectomy to chemotheraphy to radiation.

During these sessions I met some wonderful women - one whom I will never forget who was blind and she was my inspiration.

All in all it took a year from my life - but I have survived and am grateful to have - the words ringing in my ears from the first diagnosis - "you're not the first and you won't be the last".

I continued to live as normally as I could - I walked my dogs, I shopped

with tubes hidden under my coat sitting in a plastic bag which was

draining the fluids from my carcinoma. This wasn't going to beat me!

I kept my sense of humour all through - laughing at the wig I had to wear commenting on the baldness and telling my husband that at last he had more hair than me!!

The flower show is still my reminder of the bad times which I can't forget but now after 8 years as a survivor I can appreciate the 'good times'.

I would love to donate my money to the Olivia Newton John Cancer Clinic in Melbourne, Australia!

Pam Gehan
Melbourne., Australia

Sigma Chi Fight Night 2010- "Fight The Good Fight"

November 6th, 2010

The Greek Community of the University of New Mexico is uniting to "Fight the Good Fight". Sigma Chi Fight Night is a charity boxing match with proceeds going towards the Susan G. Komen For The Cure of Central New Mexico. Each house (Sigma Chi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Omega Delta Phi, and Phi Gamma Delta) will put forth teams of five to undergo 4 months of intense physical training and boxing instruction. All their hard work will culminate the night of November 6th at UNM's 4,000 capacity Johnson Gym. Breast Cancer is a disease that has affected everyone in some way ,shape, or form. Our fraternity has brothers who have suffered close losses from the disease, and one of our brother's mother is actually a Breast Cancer Survivor. This event pairs well with the cause, it's all about FIGHTING the GOOD FIGHT; putting yourself against adversity, testing your boundaries, and giving your all to come out the victor in the struggle. We are doing this to raise awareness about the disease and to unite our passion for service behind helping find a cure. Funding research and pursuing a cure will lead to a brighter tomorrow for those currently with the disease and the possibility for our sisters, mothers, wives, and future daughters to live in a world without it.

Adam Ornelas
Albuquerque, NM

Cancer is a word not a sentence

Hi I had a mammagram on June 2009. This came back negative. I was relieved to have this happen but this was very short lived. My family doctor had a gut feeling that something was not right and ordered an ultra-sound and I am so thankful for that. It showed I God Bless everyone who must make the journey.

Janet Boyce
goderich, ON, Canada

My Mum Wonderwoman at 80

My mums mum died from breast cancer her aunty died of it a few years later. Her sister, in her thirties, was diagnosed. Fortunately this cancer was treated early, my favourite aunt lived. She needed a radical mastectomy. My mum seemed to have escaped breast cancer but she suffered with the severe chronic lung complaint emphysema . She required continuous 24hr oxygen at home. My dad died when we kids were still at school, my brother died in an accident at 25yrs old, so family was stretched a little thin by now. Just me, my son, my sister, and her two kids, my brother in law died suddenly at 43yrs old. After an intensive care admission to hospital, my mother was determined to get off oxygen, within twelve months of coming close to death she did it! Life was looking better, she was leaving the house to shop, helping look after my son,even gardening, it was great. Then she found the lump, naturally it was frightening but it was found early. She had the lumpectomy, then the anaesthetic nearly killed her because her lungs could not handle any suppression to breathing. But she did it. She was told she could never be sedated again especially general anaesthetic. Radiotheraphy was a breeze she even started catching a bus to shop afterwards.She fell breaking her wrist and needed her arm pin and plated during radiotherapy treatment. But she did it! Eventually, oxygen was required full time again she really hates this. Few years later, same breast again cancer rapidly progressive, she needed mastectomy under LOCAL anaesthetic but as usual she did it! Everyone was amazed at how tough she was to go through procedure wide awake without a complaint, She received excellent care with excellent results. She's 80yrs old now.

.

leone
Sydney, Australia

A SURVIVOR OF BREAST CANCER

THIS IS HOW MINE STARTED IN 2000 ON VALENTINES DAY , I FOUND OUT I HAD BREAST CANCER WENT THRU THE TREATMENTS AND SURVIVED THEM . LOSING MY HAIR , MY TEETH . WEIGHT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT . BUT WHAT KEPT ME ALIVE WAS MY GRANDSON JOHNNY BEING BORN ON THE SAME DAY ! A REAL VALENTINES NOT PAPER CARD BUT A REAL LIVING PERSON . AND A SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND AND FAMILY AND MY CHURCH ! BELIEVING IN GOD GOT ME BY ALSO ! IT IS NOW 2010 . TEN YEARS FOR ME ! IF YOU WILL THINK LIFE AND NOT DEATH YOU WILL SURVIVE ! AND BE A REAL FIGHTER AT IT ! AND THIS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO LIVE ! ALSO SOME LAUGHTER DOES YOU GOOD ! JEANETTE L. NORRIS

jeanette l. norris
modesto, CA

JUST STAY POSITIVE

I HAD GONE FOR MY ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM AND THERE WAS A LUMP. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS SCAR TISSUE FROM A PRIOR SURGERY . WENT BACK 6 MTHS LATER AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING,. SHORTLY AFTER I NOTICED THE LUMP HAD CHANGED IN SIZE. CALLED MY GYN AND HE SAID CALL YOUR SURGEON. CALLED AND THEY DID A BIOPSY 4/26/02 . GOT A CALL BACK 2 DAYS LATER, YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER. I HAD A MASTECTOMY, AND RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY AT THE SAME TIME AND WOUND UP WITH A STAFF INFECTION. HAD TO REMOVE THE IMPLANT SO I COULD START THE CHEMO. THEY FOUND IT IN 9 LYMPH NODES. I DID THE CHEMO EVERY 3 WEEKS FOR 5 MTHS, AND NEVER GOT SICK. I WOULD GO ON FRIDAY, RIGHT FROM WORK. THEN I HAD 5 WEEKS OF RADIATION EVERY DAY AND NEVER GOT SICK. MY CHILDREN WERE AT THE TIME 6 AND 12 YEARS. I COULD NOT LET MY FAMILY SEE ME GET DEPRESSED AND I NEVER DID. I HAVE TO TELL YOU MY HUSBAND WAS MORE DEVASTATED THAN I WAS. THERE IS NO HISTORY. I TELL PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO THINK POSITIVE AND I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THIS IS WHAT GOT ME THROUGH IT. MY FAVORITE SAYING IS, GOD GAVE YOU THIS AND THERE IS NOT A THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, EXCEPT GO ON AND FIGHT. IT HAS BEEN 8 WONDERFUL YEARS AND I AM TRULY A SURVIVOR AND SO CAN YOU. I HOPE AND PRAY I NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN, BUT IF I DID I KNOW I COULD DO IT.

karen
beacon falls, CT