God bless my mom...

Thank you for sharing the story about your mom. Early detection does saves lives! Listen to your body.

Amy

I would like to share the story of my mom, Yolanda.

My beloved mom felt a lump in her left breast, she did not pay much attention and a couple of months later it became a little harder and her skin became like a little hard black and blue. She went to Mt. Sinai Hospital, Miami Beach, Florida to see Dr. Juan Paramo (God bless him) and in a matter of three weeks, we sadly found out she had breast cancer in her left breast (where the little hard black and blue was), also in her right breast (noticeable through mammogram only) and in both glands under her arms.

It has been such a horrific roller coaster ride: in less than a month! My mom is so in shape and so active that she was still working from 7am to 12pm a part-time job in a beautiful restaurant in the heart of South Beach, after work she will work on Lincoln Road (beautiful outdoors mall in South Beach) and almost everyday she will run from the South Beach heat by entering Macy's and as feminine and girlie as she is, she would always find something pretty on sale to buy.

My mom is loved and care by my dad Luis, my son and her only grandson Richard(Richie) and myself. My son is on vacation and my dad is retired and I returned to work Tuesday July 20. She has a nurse that comes every day to cure her wounds and her drains (she has four).

My mom is so brave, so courageous, so beautiful. We love her and we pray for her speedy recovery.

Her doctor, Dr. Juan Paramo, tells us that since it was total amputation of both breast and all cancerous tissue, she will not need radiation nor chemotherapy, so she is happy.

For now on, I will help as much as I can for cancer research because we need to find a cure.

Cancer is an ugly thing and I have faith in God that we will find a cure soon.

Thank you very much and God bless my mom.

Early Detection Does Save Lives

Sara,

You are living proof that mammograms really do save lives. We wish you many healthy years ahead. May God bless you on your journey and congratualtions on completing your treatments.

Amy

Hello, my name is Sara and I am a breast cancer survivor. On Dec 15, 2009 I was diagnosed with DCIS breast cancer stage 0. I realize I am very blessed. I had my yearly mammogram in Nov of 2009 and then a biopsy. I had my lumpectomy Jan 7, 2010. All went well they removed the cancer and two lymph nodes. I started radiation treatment on Feb 11, 2010 and finished March 31, 2010. I started the tamoxifen pill on April 1, 2010. At the end of radiation is when my breast began to burn. I am a black female and the radiation turned my breast really dark. I'm told the color will come back in time. Through all of this my support group has been great, from the time I told them and now. My job was and still is fantastic. I had just started there in July 2009, but the way they stood by me you would have thought that I had been there for a very long time. I thank God for allowing this to be caught in a timely manner. I thank my daughter for her caring, love and support. I thank my friends old and new for being with me, caring for me and always showing concern for me. Mammograms can and do help save lives.

Relay for Life...a way to give back!

Barbara,

Congratulations on being a 6 year survivor! Relay for Life is a wonderful way to give back. As a survivor myself, I also feel the need to give back and create awareness for all kinds of cancer. I hope that your team had a great time at the relay. You are blessed to have so much support from your co-workers. What a blessing that your brother was able to receive a kidney afterall. I wish you many years ahead as a survivor.

Amy

In 2003, my brother was dying from a kidney disease and needed a transplant. I tested for him and was found to be a complete match! With much hope in our hearts, we were scheduled for surgery on a Tuesday morning in January. That Wednesday before, the transplant team called me and said I had not had a mammogram that year and would have to have one before surgery. So I rushed up to the hospital, had it and went home to prepare for the transplant. That Friday I received yet another call……they had found cancer. So, I did indeed have surgery, but not what I had planned. I had a partial mastectomy, then six weeks later, radiation treatments for more eight weeks, and finally, SIX YEARS later, I am still cancer free! Even tho I summed this up in a short paragraph, it in no way explains the pain, the heart-break, the worry, and the feelings that one goes thru when you hear that terrible word “cancer”. I am a strong Christian, tho, and I know God has a plan for my life, so I am trying to give back to those who have not been as lucky as I have been. That’s why Relay for Life means so much and I will be walking this year on October 17th in Belton, Texas! I also have 41 of my fellow employees who will be walking with me! Oh, by the way, my brother? Well, that August at 4AM in the morning, we received a call that they had a donor for him and he received his kidney afterall! GOD IS GOOD!!

Looking up to mom

Kate,

It is so great to hear that your mother is doing so well. I can't help but think about my own story. It's also been three years for me as well. My girls were 2 and 4 at the time of my diagnosis, so there wasn't a true understanding of the big picture. It's good to hear the perspective of a daughter, especially one that looks up to her mother. She is so blessed to have you in her life. May she have many more years ahead as a survivor!!!

Amy

My name is Kate. My Mother, Ann, was diagnoised with Breast Cancer about 3 years ago. It all started with a regular visit to the Dr. where She had a mamogram done. We were all shocked when The Dr. told m Mom that She had Breast Cancer. After that came surgery to remove the mass from Her breast, and to remove Her Lympth nods that may cause the cancer to come back. After She had recovered from Her surgery, there were many months of Radiation to ensure that the cancer was completley rid of Her body. I cant not even begin to describe the fear of possibly loosing your mom, which I had felt from the day I found out that She had cancer, all the way through Her radiation treatments, and until She was told that the cancer was in remission.
She has been cancer free for 3 years now and We coulldnt be more thrilled. She goes in for regular mamograms and has been doing great ever since. This experience has made Her such a stronger person, and has made me really appreciate my mom more and cherish the time I get to spend with Her. My mother is a Breast Cancer Survivor, and If I happen to get Breast Cancer someday, I hope to have the inner strengh and courage that my Mother had while facing such a difficult challenge. If You or someone You know has Breast Cancer, Please dont give up hope. You can beat this!
Thank You
Kate

Faith, 10-Year Survivor, Living Like There's No Tomorrow

Faith's story is another testament to how much cancer changes your life, your outlook, and your whole attitude toward life. Live it to the fullest!

My name is Faith and I am almost an 11 year cancer survivor. My story starts back in 1998 my family and I were getting excited about going on vacation to Ohio to cedar point. One day I was in the shower and just rinsing of the soap and run my hand over my breast and felt something that was not normal it was a lump about the size of a quarter. I just brushed it off because I did not want to ruin our vacation. We stayed in a cabin for our vacation and one night I had finally told my husband what I have found. I was positive at that time that it was just something to do with my period. When we got home from our vacation I had made an appointment with my gynecologist and she reassured me that it could be nothing but wanted me to have a biopsy done on the lump. I followed up with a surgeon to have a biopsy done and come to find out he wanted to do a needle core biopsy. Not realizing what a needle core biopsy I went ahead with it and it was so painful the nurse had a hard time holding my feet down all I wanted to to was cry the pain was excruciating. Well about a week later the doctor called me and told me that I needed to come into his office to discuss the results of the biopsy and I was so positive that it was nothing that I insisted on her telling me over the phone and that was the worst mistake I have ever made. After I had received the bad news that the biopsy came back positive for cancer that is when it hit me and I sat down and cried for about an hour and then I basically slapped myself and told myself that I can beat this, I just have to get through this next visit to find out what I had to do to survive this disease. I went through a lumpectomy and they removed 13 lymph nodes and they all came back negative so the next thing to do was to start the treatments.
So I started chemotherapy and my first treatment I did at the doctors office the same day there was a serious storm coming through town and when I was almost down with my treatment we had lost power they say that a tornado and hit down in town and the streets were flooded. While this was all going on outside I was being rushed to the basement of the building for my safety until this storm was over, we had to wait about an hour. I made it through the first round of chemotherapy and radiation all at the same time. Radiation was an every day trip to midland. The radiation oncology department over there was the best. When I was almost done with my chemo I started to get my hair back and when I went for one of my radiation treatments one of the oncologist rubbed my hair and said that it felt like a baby chicks fur and then he asked me how I don't fall over because my feet are only a size 5. So they made the treatment like it was a vacation. When I finished my last treatment I went out and bought one of the oncologist a coloring book and crayons so he could learn to stay in the lines. when I was doing one of my treatments he made me laugh when he was trying to draw a line and had to redo the line from me laughing.
Chemotherapy on the other hand was not that easy I had a hard time with the second round which was called tamoxifen I had to go to grand rapids for the first treatment because they said that there might be an allergic reaction to this one and they were right about 20 minutes into the treatment i started to get the hiccups and they had to stop the treatment and give me benadryl. After about an hour waiting for the benadryl to kick in they let me go home and when I was walking down the aisle I felt like I was out on an all night drunk I rode home in the back seat of the car and my husband at the time told me when we got home that he had a flat tire so he and my son had to stop and change it and I don't remember that part of the trip at all. So I had to go back to the first set of chemo and finish with that. I lost all of my hair except for my eyebrows and to this day I do not grow a lot of hair on my legs.
When I was going through the chemo and loosing all my hair which was down to my rear my husband at the time decided to shave all of his hair of so I would not feel like the odd duck and everyone at work thought that was special. The first time that I started to loose all my hair I was in the shower and I had to unclog the drain three times before I was done so when I was finally out of the shower I had my husband shave my head and then I set in the bedroom by myself and just cried again.
Every year since being diagnosed with breast cancer I have gotten an ornament for the tree at Christmas to mark another year of being cancer free. On my ten year anniversary of being cancer free I decorated our tree in all pink. That was such an accomplishment knowing that I have beaten this disease and live to tell my story. So much more to go on about this story on how I survived this disease and the other life challenging decisions that I have had to make to go along with this disease like divorcing my husband because he would not quite drinking. I know that probably sounds rude but after going through cancer and surviving it you tend to think that there is better out there someone who takes life sober. Also surviving cancer makes people think about how they came so close to not being able to see things or experience things in life that just days ago you thought you would never see or do. So I made decisions that would allow me to grasp the chance to live my life like it wont be there tomorrow.

Debbi W., 10-Year Survivor, Offers Hope

Debbi,

First, allow me to apologize for taking so long to respond to your story. We were a bit overwhelmed with the response to our call for survivor stories, and we are still working our way through them. It is our intent to personally respond to each one, perhaps add some commentary before posting to the blog, and to make sure that each contributor receives their free pink ribbon pin or bracelet. These things take time!

Thanks for sharing your story, and for your uplifting words to others who've been diagnosed. It's a big reason why we're collecting survivor stories ... to encourage and uplift others who are now walking in our shoes.

10 years, how wonderful! May you have many, many years ahead as a survivor.

Kim

TEN YEARS CANCER FREE

I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 1999. I found a lump in my left breast while in the shower. I was in denial as I assume all who find a lump are upon finding one. My youngest daughter,Denise was 16 at the time and when I told her what I had found she made an appointment for me to have it examined. To this day I credit her for saving my life. I had a lumpectomy....four rounds of chemotherapy and 36 radiation treatments. I lost my hair ....but I didn't lose my life. I have been going to my doctor every three months ever since. And Glory be to God I have been cancer free for ten years.I am not going to lie...I had a trying time but I am still here to tell my story ten years later. I just want to tell women not to give up...keep the faith because cancer is not a death sentence...I AM LIVING PROOF THAT THERE IS LIFE AFTER BREAST CANCER!!! I hope that if this is published it will give women hope who are going through what I went through....THINK PINK....FIND A CURE IN MY LIFETIME....Deborah W.

Casey, 32-y.o. Stage IV, "Cancer Free"

Casey had the full array of treatments for her stage IV breast cancer, although the lung biopsy proved inconclusive. Here's hoping that the questionable lung area was just a shadow, or the like!

This is mine –

I’m a one year (and counting!) stage IV breast cancer survivor… that began w/ a routine doctor’s appointment. I gave birth to my second son in September 2007 and four months later, almost to the day, was diagnosed. I was 32 years old and not completely surprised, given the fact my grandmother passed away from “breast cancer” at age 52 (as a 2 time survivor.) At the time of my biopsy of lumps in both breasts and left side lymph node, I knew it wasn’t going to be good news. But I wasn’t at all prepared for the news that the cancer had most likely spread to my lung. The lung biopsy was inconclusive due to the location of the questionable areas. We proceeded as if I had metastatic breast cancer to the lymph nodes and lung. I did the whole kit and caboodle of treatments: first, chemo, then a bilateral mastectomy w/ expanders, radiation, reconstruction surgery, and lastly, a full hysterectomy as I am positive for the BRCA II gene.

During the second opinion clinic where I found out about the suspicious spots on my lung, I let myself wallow in self pity for about 10 minutes… my biggest feat, so I thought, would be losing my hair and as everyone tells you, it does grow back! God cleared this path for me for a reason and I couldn’t change my circumstances – so, I moved on and ahead! And my biggest feat wasn’t losing my hair, but rather dealing w/ a new status of having a “pre-existing” breast cancer diagnosis and finding decent affordable healthcare coverage as a wife of someone self-employed. And that’s not so bad considering what I’ve been through over the last year and a half! I’m a very open and positive person who puts all her concentration on her two sons (and husband) and living life in every sense of the word! J I am truly blessed in so many ways!

Today, I am cancer free. I owe it to a fantastic medical team, supportive friends and family, prayer and positive thinking, and the drug Herceptin!

Best wishes to those who share a similar story,

Casey Martinez

Survivor Story - Monica M., Age 36

Thanks for sharing your story, Monica. I can relate to many aspects of your story, since I was 32 with 3 kids (12, 2 & 6 mos) when I was first diagnosed. And thanks for the touch of humor ... you can't get through this journey without it.

Kim

My name is Monica Malone. I am 36 years old. I am a wife, mother, daughter, and friend. I live in the middle of no where better known as Proctor, Arkansas. My husband Randy and I are the proud parents of Lyndsey, 18, Taylor, 11, and Mason, 9. This is my story.

The fall of 2006 was forever life-changing. My mom was dying of pancreatic cancer, and my daughter was turning 16. I found a lump in my breast. I knew instantly it was cancer. I was 33 years old. Who has cancer at 33? I did. Within a matter of 6 weeks, I had a biopsy, a mastectomy, a port placement, my 1st chemo treatment, and slept through my daughter’s 16th birthday.

Pink became the family’s favorite color. Not red, but pink. The color of survival. The color that gave us hope. I had fears to face. Pink became my armor. Chemo was my first fear.

I was scared to death to face chemo. Yes because of all the side effects of chemo…hair loss, nausea, vomiting, the loss of my “normal” life, but more so that I was going to be with old people who were ready to die. I was only 33. I was not ready to die. I soon realized how much I had in common with the others. We were all fighting to live. I then had to face the fear of how my children would deal with me being sick from treatment. I was their mother, the taxi driver, the baker, the social secretary. What was going to happen? My family happened. My husband became the taxi driver, my daughter the social secretary, and my boys remained boys. I learned that no matter how weak the chemo made me, I was just as strong a mother from the couch as I was in the driver’s seat.

My next fear was radiation. Were they going to give me too much? How bad was it going to burn me? While radiation was not as harsh as chemo, the sound of that heavy door closing was enough to shake any one’s soul. But with every slam of that door, I was one step closer to being deemed cancer free.

Throughout this journey I have learned my share of lessons. Cancer does not mean death. Kids are resilient and cope better than many adults. Friends you did not know you had become the ones you cannot live without. Wigs are hot and no one will tell you it is crooked.

I am a simple person. I do not ask for lavish things. I love God, my family, my friends, my life. As you read my story, I hope that you this with you. Do not use cancer as an excuse. It is not. So what if you sleep through a birthday party. Who said that you could only have one party? Do not let cancer rule your life, rule the cancer. Use it to your advantage. Talk to people, tell them your story. They might need to hear it. Better yet, you might to need to hear theirs.

I am now finished with chemo, radiation and 42 weeks of Herceptin. I take Tamoxifen everyday. My cancer markers are within an acceptable range. I have shoulder length hair that beats any wig. I wear a prosthetic breast that is known to make an unexpected public appearance at any given time. I am a survivor.

Our 1st survivor story! Dana P., Age 41

Wow, that was fast! Our first survivor story has arrived ...

I was 41 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. I underwent 6 months of chemotherapy, a mastectomy and removal of lymph nodes, 5 weeks of radiation and a full year of Herceptin IV treatments. Only a couple weeks ago I had my port removed which, to me, signified the end of the treatment chapter. My mission now is to maintain as healthy a lifestyle as I possibly can to do my part in fighting a recurrance. I have changed my diet by eliminating refined sugar, white flour and dairy and have switched to organics. I work on maintaining a calm state of mind through acupuncture and meditation. Although all I wanted was to go on with my old life and to walk away and leave the whole cancer experience behind me once treatments were finished, that was not to be. Just last month I opened a wig shop and mastectomy boutique that caters to women going through cancer treatment. It has already been a truly rewarding endeavor to have the priviledge of serving so many couragous women. As unwelcome as it was, cancer has truly enriched my life in ways I never dreamed possible.

Dana P