"When I first found out I had breast cancer, I went into denial. I got a second opinion and then a third, but all the tests turned out the same way. The doctors advised me that my cancer was aggressive and that I needed surgery as soon as possible, but I had three small children at the time and I thought I was going to die, so I wanted to spend that last Christmas with them. Back then I couldn’t think of anybody else who had had breast cancer, but when I told a friend about it, she started naming off all these people we both knew who had had it in one or both breasts. I hadn’t even known about them, but once they found out I had it too, they started calling and coming by. Some had had lumpectomies, others mastectomies, and they gave me a lot of support and encouragement. My surgery was in January of 1995 and as of today, I haven’t had a recurrence. I’ve been practically pain-free; there haven’t been any issues. I’m still choosing to live every day. It’s been a good 22 years. When you get a diagnosis like cancer, you can either sit there and grieve yourself to death or you can get up and live until you die."
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer - October 23, 2016:
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