Karen, 22-Year & 2-Time Survivor

Thanks for sharing your story, Karen.

Whew, you have been through a lot, lady! So glad to hear you are doing well.

I, too, couldn't believe my misfortune when I had a "local" recurrence at the site of my mastectomy scar from 6 years prior! I read that only about 1% of recurrences occurred there. I thought, "Why must I be in that 1 measly percent!?" Unfortunately I later learned that this new lump on the same side was not an isolated recurrence ... the cancer had also metastasized to the bones, lung and many lymph nodes. :( But that was 3 years ago and I continue to live life to the fullest despite my stage IV diagnosis. I am blessed ... nothing short of a miracle in my eyes. Were it not for modern medicine, I am certain that I would NOT be alive today.

Let's keep funding cancer research. We need more success stories like yours and mine!

I was first diagnosed in 1987 at the age of 31. At the time I was married and had one daughter age 6 and a step daughter age 16. Stage 1, node negative. I chose a lumpectomy with radiation. At this time there wasn't any breast cancer awareness, you just dealt with it. My husband did not deal well and to make a long story short, within a year I filed for a divorce. It got very messy and he ended up committing suicide. So much for no stress in my life. Now I was 33, a widow with a young child to raise and a breast cancer survivor although no one really wanted to talk about that. It only happened to older women.
Life went on, as I knew it would. I met a wonderful man who became hubby number 2. He accepted me as a breast cancer survivor, my hodge podge family, (I was also helping my best friend raise her daughter) and I gained another step daughter.
Life was great and we got the surprise of our lives when I was 39 and we found out I was pregnant. After a difficult pregnancy we had us a healthy baby boy!!!!
I celebrated each year on the 6th of March, thanking the Lord for giving me another year.
Then the year 2000, my breast doctor called out of the blue wanting me to get an ultrasound. Funny I just saw her a couple months before, we had looked at my recent mammo, decided spot was more than likely scar tissue when comparing it to several past mammograms, now she wanted an ultrasound. It just couldn't be cancer again, I was 13 years out, even though in the back of my mind I knew. Sure enough, stage 2b, didn't even bother to check nodes again as I already have lymphodema, 7 cm her2 neg. ER pos. Had mastectomy with 4 rounds of A/C and 4 rounds of Taxol. A tram flap reconstruction and 5 years of Arimidex, couldn't take Tamoxifin because of blood clot in lung while going through chemo. I just knew I was going to die this time. My son was only 5. I could not find anyone who had breast cancer twice unless it had metastasis. I was so afraid. Finally I found a wonderful support group at Gilda's Club and on line at FIN. It was at FIN that I met someone who just like me had it more than once. finally HOPE!!!
Now I am 53 years old, a 22 years a cancer survivor, 9 years no evidence of disease, I feel blessed. I sign every relay for life sign with this:
WALKING AWAY A WINNER, THANK YOU LORD.
KAREN