Kellie May's November Update

Another surgery day is already here. It felt like November flew by in a week! It’s hard to believe that my special, Cinderella evening was a month ago. I described the event to people like this, “It’s like when you watch Oprah’s Favorite Gifts show, but something like that is actually, unbelievably happening to you!” Our family had such a fantastic time and we are definitely still enjoying the after effects.

I think it’s safe to say that I’ve been spoiled. It will be hard to go to a spa for just one treatment after a day of pampering from La Villa Salon and Spa. And being there with my friend Brenda made the day even better! I am also now addicted to Kneaders Classic Turkey sandwiches and their sugar cookies too! How convenient that there is one not far from our home. Porter now thinks he’s a movie star, and why wouldn’t he? Image Hiker came to our house and filmed us and he can watch us on the internet!

I had my first post-chemo appointment earlier this week. I thought I’d be more anxious than I was, but I was pretty confident that everything would look good considering I’m only three months out. I think that as the follow-ups get farther out the anxiety I feel will increase. I’m not sure that I’ll ever feel total relief.

Tomorrow’s surgery will be the first step towards reconstruction. Following my mastectomy last March, I began thinking about reconstruction and the possibility of removing my other breast. From the beginning I was leaning toward removal. I was hoping that the genetic testing would help me make that decision, but the genetic testing came back inconclusive. It seems that I have a variation that they have never seen before, and though it might not mean anything, they have nothing to compare it against. I will most likely not know the significance of that variation for years, not until they find many more women with the same quirk. So I have gone back and forth with this decision, but in the end I have opted for removal. Now my breasts will look different but at least they’ll be the same as each other.

My mom is back to help for the next few weeks while I recover. My husband calls her an angel from heaven, and she really is. It’s hard to imagine what we would do without her help. I will not be going back to work until next year. It sounds funny to say that. My students now know that I had cancer, I went through chemo, I’m going to be gone to recover from surgery, and the next time they see me, it will probably be without my wig.

I’m so excited for the opportunity to be affiliated with such a great company. We had an opportunity to meet and spend time with some of the wonderful For Every Body employees. My husband has been fortunate enough to work for an incredible homegrown Utah company for over 15 years, so we really appreciate what Becky Anderson has done and is doing, not only here in Utah but across the country as well as internationally. Thank you, every body and every one.

Kellie May - Her Story

Kellie May, our 2007 Think Pink for Life honoree, is an amazing woman. Together with her husband Clint and sons Porter and Parker, she has experienced the great joys and sorrows life can bring. This video is a tribute to her, and an important message to all of us about the power of hope and family. You can watch it here:

http://www.imagehiker.com/Videography/Client/shannon_galloday.html

Evening in Pink 2007

Our first Evening in Pink was a success! These are the results from the evening...

Kellie May was honored as our Think Pink Honoree.

Kellie received $10,000 and all of the items donated from our sponsors. These items were given to her at or before the event: a blender from Blendtec, skincare products from NuSkin, a book written by Kevin Sharp, shoes from Sole Desires, DVDs from Digital Scrapbook Memories, a gift basket from Kneaders, services from Persogenics, tickets to a football game from BYU Athletics, pearl jewelry from My Princess Pearls, a dozen pink roses, a two-night stay at the Courtyard Marriott hotel, a purse from Bags that Fit, a dress from Shabby Apple, jewelry from Flashy Fingers, a day at the salon with her friend from La Villa Salon & Spa, and tickets to the Nutcracker from Ballet West.

Kellie will also receive items each month for the next year from sponsors.

Silent Auction Recipients

We raised $4,000 for the silent auction last night. Two women will receive $2,000 each from the proceeds of the silent auction. These women were spotlighted at the event and their stories were read.



Manjula Karan







Candy Caponi-Dooley



Survivors

We honored one survivor last night with a cruise for her and her husband.




Jana Harris, a seven-year survivor

Our 2007 Think Pink for Life Honoree

Congratulations to Kellie May!
Our 2007 Think Pink for Life Honoree

When Kellie called and told me about her being honored at The Evening in Pink, she told me that she felt guilty. Guilty? That’s my most humble and self-sacrificing friend, Kellie, for you. I told her that she was just as deserving as any other person that submitted her story. She said, “Brenda, have you read some of those stories that have been submitted? Some of those ladies….” I interrupted her to say “Kellie, YOU also have a story.” ---Brenda Hurlburt

Kellie’s Story written by her friend Brenda…

“Boy did she ever downplay her situation! You have a lot of gaps to fill. It’s a good thing the judges could read between the lines,” said a mutual friend after I sent her the link to read Kellie’s story that she submitted to foreverybody.com.

I was asked to give my perspective of Kellie’s story so that others reading it would have a deeper understanding of what this amazing person has gone through.

Kellie and I met 12 years ago while teaching middle school together. We both decided to start our families at the same time. My son was born and still Kellie wasn’t pregnant. My son turned one and still Kellie wasn’t pregnant. She watched sisters-in-law and friends get pregnant and have their babies while still trying for her own. The day she finally went to see a fertility specialist she discovered she was pregnant. Yeah!

Sadly, the challenges of getting pregnant carried over into the birth. Six weeks before her due date, Kellie was drying off after showering for work. She felt her umbilical cord. She rushed to the hospital with her husband where the doctors performed an emergency c-section and the baby was rushed to Primary Children’s Hospital.

Porter spent his first three weeks of life at Primary’s before coming home with a feeding tube through his nose and no answers as to what the future would look like for this little boy. This is what the immediate future looked like for his parents: speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, early intervention visits, CT scans and all day visits at Primary Children’s where he would see many different doctors and specialists. It took over two years for someone to finally tell Kellie that his diagnosis was Cerebral Palsy.

Even though Porter is walking and riding a bike when we weren’t sure that he ever would, the challenges, doctor’s visits, and therapy appointments continue. How do you get teachers, students, and others to see through the physical disability and instead see the loving, intelligent, funny seven-year-old? How do you convince this same seven- year-old that he is not stupid or dumb and that he is the same as the other kids, but has to overcome some challenges? What do you say to your little boy that asks you “Mom, when does Cerebral Palsy go away?”

These are all challenges Kellie faces.

Once Porter turned three, Kellie was ready to add to their family. Unfortunately, history repeated itself and Kellie was struggling to get pregnant again. She watched as family members and friends got pregnant and had their babies all around her. This time she consulted the fertility specialist after not succeeding on her own. She took fertility drugs for awhile and then tried artificial insemination.
Their second and final try (Kellie was physically, emotionally, and financially done trying) was successful. Yeah!

Kellie waited to announce her pregnancy until she got through the first trimester. Shortly after that I got a call during Christmas break asking if I could watch Porter. The doctor’s office had called and wanted Kellie and Clint to come in and talk about the results of the pre-natal testing. They were told that there was a small chance that their baby would be born with Down’s Syndrome.

Kellie was scheduled to have ultrasounds through the rest of her pregnancy. After each ultrasound there was no conclusive evidence that would tell them if the baby did in fact have Down’s. The only way to be 100% sure was to have an amniocentesis. They agreed that they would keep the baby regardless of the results. After years of trying to get pregnant, they were not willing to endure the risks involved in performing an amnio.

Kellie went into labor five weeks early. When I got to the hospital the doctor was there telling Kellie that yes, the baby did have signs of having Down ’s Syndrome. For the second time, her baby was taken from her and sent to Primary Children’s Hospital for tests to confirm. The worrying was now over whether or not the baby had Down’s, but the real worrying and challenges were to begin. The severity of Down ’s Syndrome can vary widely from child to child.

Besides having a mental disability, Down ’s Syndrome children can have heart defects, leukemia, chronic ear infections, gastro-intestinal problems, growth problems, early mortality, thyroid problems, obesity, eye and ear trouble among
other things. Where would Parker fall on this scale?

In his 17 months of life, Parker has had five echo-cardiograms, three this year alone. For each full echo, Kellie watched her baby go under anesthesia and then held her breath until they told her he doesn’t need heart surgery.

The main challenge with him right now is getting him to gain weight. Down ’s Syndrome children do tend to be smaller, but Parker would sometimes lose weight that he could not afford to lose between doctor’s appointments. At one point last spring she was taking him in weekly to get weighed to make sure he was gaining. Each ounce was critical to keeping Kellie sane and from keeping the words “Failure to Thrive” from everybody’s mind. He is making progress, but not fast enough for his mom to be able to take him in for a check-up and leave with no new concerns to watch for until the next appointment.

At this point of the story Kellie is facing her biggest challenge yet. This time it is not one of her children, but herself.
She has been diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump during a self exam. Even though the doctor and radiologist thought it was nothing, probably just a cyst, most of the time they are benign….it was cancer. Kellie’s terrible luck continued when she underwent eight aggressive chemotherapy treatments, instead of the more common four treatment plan.

Before she even started the chemo treatments, she had three surgeries in six weeks, the baby had ear tubes put in, and her husband, Clint, had emergency dental work done. By mid-April of this year their family of four had been to the doctor thirty times and she didn’t start chemotherapy until May. The chemo treatments were every two weeks, with a follow-up appointment on the in -between week. There is a co-pay for every chemo treatment; there is a co-pay for every follow up visit; there is a co-pay for each surgery, and then there is the 20% of all of these bills that the insurance doesn’t cover, left for her family to pay.

While she endured the physical challenges and pain that chemo brought, the emotional challenge was extremely tough. Even though Kellie has an incredible outlook, a never ending positive attitude, and an upbeat perspective, the loss of control over her life eventually took its toll on her, sinking her into bit of a depression.

Her type A personality needs control, organization, a plan, and predictability. All of these things were no longer an option with cancer. She had to rely on others now and this was difficult for such an independent woman.

She had the whole first chemotherapy treatment written out in a journal so that when round two came she would know exactly what to expect, but it didn’t work that way. As if all of the side effects of chemotherapy weren’t enough Kellie had to give up who she was to this stupid disease, which was just an extra burden for her to go through.

When Kellie called and told me about her being honored at The Evening in Pink, she told me that she felt guilty. Guilty? That’s my most humble and self-sacrificing friend, Kellie, for you. I told her that she was just as deserving as any other person that submitted her story. She said, “Brenda, have you read some of those stories that have been submitted? Some of those ladies….” I interrupted her to say “Kellie, YOU also have a story.”

Kellie’s Story from her perspective...

I found a lump in my left breast during a self-exam last January. My doctor sent me for a mammogram, and because the mammogram wasn't conclusive, I also had an ultrasound. The radiologist reported the lump to be a cyst. I received a letter reporting that everything seemed normal, but advised further follow-up. Both my doctor and the surgeon felt it was just a cyst. Because of the size, I opted for a surgical biopsy to make sure. I had the biopsy on a Friday and on Monday I found out that I had cancer.

At the end of March, two days before my 35th birthday, I had a mastectomy on my left breast. I had no known risk factors. Thanks to the support of my family, especially my husband and mom, neighbors, friends, and co-workers, I recovered quickly and returned to work two weeks later. I needed to get back to my classroom (I was a preschool special education teacher) and tie up loose ends before taking the rest of the school year off to start chemo treatments.

While waiting to start chemo, the troops were rallied. Car pooling was planned for my school aged son, and his teachers at school were notified. My infant son's care was also carefully coordinated until the time my mom would essentially move in and take care of him and our home.

My cancer was diagnosed as Stage II, Grade 3, Hormone positive and Her2Neu negative. My oncologist informed me that I had the garden variety breast cancer, which is what you want when it comes to medicine, garden variety. He said that he would be surprised at a recurrence and his prognosis was cure. What a relief, not totally, but a relief none the less. Recurrance is not an option for me. I have two young sons who need me, though I need them too. I need them to keep me living.

My seven-year-old was born premature due to my cord prolapsing. He was life-lighted to Primary Children's where he lived for the first three weeks of his life. He is diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy and has made major physical gains over the years. My 15-month-old was also born premature, and also spent time at Primary’s, just a week though. He has Downs Syndrome, but is without many of the health conditions that affect these kids. He does have some minor heart complications that are being monitored by the cardiology department at Primary’s.

I'm writing this on the eve of my last chemo treatment. Tomorrow I will be having my eighth and final treatment. Though it's been a long summer and I have lost my left breast, my hair, lots of sleep, my appetite, my sense of taste, gained a higher sense of smell, endured many different side effects including depression and insomnia, not to mention general aches and pains, I have shed more tears of joy than of sorrow. I have an amazing support group, and I attribute that mostly to the love everyone has for my special boys. My husband is amazing, my mom is an angel, I am so fortunate.

I will be returning to work Monday when the new school year starts in a new position as a 7th grade health teacher. It will be my 13th year as an educator. My son will start 2nd grade; he's so excited. My mom will be hanging around for a few more weeks while I transition back into life. I will hopefully be having a consultation on reconstructive surgery within the next couple of months. I would like to get all of the medical procedures behind me. So, that's my story. For more of my story you can go to my "blog" at http://www.blogger.com/www.caringbridge.org then visit me by typing in Kellie May.

Murray, UT

Clara's Story from Tennessee

My Mother’s Story

My Mom, Clara, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. She discovered the lump in her right breast while performing a self-breast exam. She did not waste any time getting to the doctor to confirm that she indeed had breast cancer. By the time my mom called to tell me (on a Friday afternoon), she had already made the decision to have a mastectomy and the surgery was scheduled for the following Monday.

She was adamant that she did not want me to worry because she had already placed the situation in God’s hand and knew without a doubt that he would take good care of her. I was not working at the time and unaware that my “unemployment” was a blessing in the midst of a storm. The fact that I was unemployed meant that I could travel to West Tennessee to be with my Mom.

Prior to her beginning the chemo treatments, my mom traveled to East Tennessee to go shopping for some “fashionable” wigs. She was well aware of the side affects of the drugs and wanted to be prepared for the nausea as well as losing her hair. The decision to start chemo was met with some hesitation; having watched her own Mom (Frankie L. Jones) battle Non-Hoskins disease and one of her close friends (Ms. Janette Tansil) undergo extensive chemo and radiation treatments.

She knew this was not going to be easy; yet with God being her most fierce warrior, she knew He would fight this battle. My mom completed her chemotherapy after six months without losing one single strand of her hair.

Seven years later (2003) it was found that my mom had calcifications in her left breast. This time was no different than the first in that my mom made the decision that was best for her. She had a second mastectomy and afterwards it was determined by her doctor that neither chemotherapy nor radiation was necessary.

Although I am writing this story “about” my mom, I could never begin to tell her story. To my family and me, my mom is so special. We now know that in making those tough decisions, she was not only thinking of herself, but also how her courageous fight against this dreadful disease would one day be a living testimony for others that may have to endure this fight.

Thank You, Lord for being a God of not only second chances, but of many chances. My mom continues to live each day by sharing her ordeal with anyone that will listen and her words of encouragement ring out loud and clear . . . . . . . "Listen to your body, perform your self-breast exams and get a mammogram once a year. Early detection can save your life!!

Knoxville, Tennessee

Jerri's Story from New York

Hi. My name is Jerri! I feel like I am part of a whole new group now! While it is not the sort of group you willingly sign up for, such as say a PTA Member, a Ladies Auxiliary Aide, or even for those who need help such as an Alcoholics Anonymous Member, it is a group I joined nonetheless, but it does not necessarily mean I am sorry I had to join!

My life has changed drastically in the last six months! What used to seem so important, now takes a backseat to what really is and that is my health, so I can be here for my son Anthony. He is 12 years old and I must say it was not always an easy 12 years. We have had our knocks in life, but none like this -that is for sure!

However, this dreaded cancer, this breast cancer that has happened to so many people and has now affected my life, has brought him and I so much closer. It is almost a blessing in disguise that because I will be a survivor and beat this cancer, have my son and boyfriend, who has stood by me through it all, that I have come away with a new awareness of what is really most important in my life!

If the doctors told me a year ago what my life would be like right now, I wouldn't have believe it. I was struggling through life, like most any single parent does, trying to work and make ends meet and just living day to day. Now, I feel a whole new sense of living each day to the fullest.

Am I sick? Yes! Do I cry why me, why me? Yes! But knowing the support of my family, friends and the whole community, makes me take a step back and say, “Wow - people really love me and are willing to see me through this.” That is an awfully good feeling, let me tell you!

I am 39 years old! I have had a double mastectomy to try to get rid of the cancer and then after the operation, which was a traumatic enough experience, I ended up having an infection that put me back in the hospital for two weeks. That was the hardest. I did the right thing in not worrying about vanity with my body, only to have an infection complicate matters and frankly scare the hell out of me!

Thank God I am home now and things are going better. I still have a very long road ahead of me, but I am going to beat this thing! So, when you hear Melissa Ethridge's song "I Run For Hope", know that I will keep running for my son, my family and my friends and mostly for me and other cancer survivors!

Though I, of course, wish this never happened, I can't help but be a little grateful, that I can look around now and realize how great a gift life really is and know that I will run for it! Cancer is no longer a faceless thing to me.

Buchanan, New York

Julie's Story from California

My story starts out in June of 2002. My husband and I were so excited to find out that we were expecting our first child. Six weeks into my pregnancy my back went out. At eight weeks my left pelvis started to hurt. At each of my OBGYN appointments I told my doctor that the pain in my hip was really bad. She told me that it sounds like Sciatica, a common occurrence during pregnancy. She recommended physical therapy.

Each day the pain got worse and worse. My OB told me to try acupuncture, which didn't help, and then chiropractics. Nothing was working. The pain in my hip was excruciating. At five months I was not able to get out of a chair, so my husband had to get an electric chair which would help me stand from a sitting position. At seven months we demanded a 2nd opinion. My OB sent us to an orthopedic who agreed to do an MRI of my pelvis.

The next day he called us into his office and informed us that I had a VERY LARGE tumor on my pelvis. (The pain that I was feeling was my pelvis breaking every time I took a step!) The orthopedic told us that this was out of his relm. He referred us to an amazing ortheopic oncologist at Stanford University, (Dr David Mohler).

The next day we went down and saw him. He did a needle biopsy of the tumor on my hip. That night he called us and told us the news that I had Stage IV breast cancer which has spread to my bones. He recommended that we immediately come back down to Stanford to deliver my child. At this point I was only 30 weeks.

The next few days my husband and I had to make the hardest decisions of our lives. What do we do about the baby?

We went back down to Stanford to the High Risk OB. While there they did more scans and we were informed that not only had my cancer spread to my bones, but it was in my vertebrae, ribs and also Liver. Stanford told us that I only had about one year to live and that their goal was to do their best to keep me comfortable. But the same day that we find out that news of where the cancer had spread to I developed pre-eclapmsia which meant that we had to deliver the baby ASAP.

In one day we had to make a life and death decision about our unborn child. We were informed about all the possible complications that come along with a preemie child. I don't know how my wonderful husband made it through that day. Not only was his wife dieing, but now his child was probably going to have complications. But, with the loving support of our family and friends we turned those tears of sadness into a will to fight. There were to be " No more Tears" we need everyone's focus to be on our child and myself. And that is exactly what we did.

On December 23, 2002, Jessica Anne was delivered via c-section. She weight three pounds 13 ounces. She was perfect, just little. She was showing no signs of any birth defects. At the time of the delivery we decided to remove my ovaries since my cancer was HER-2 neu positive. We wanted to get rid of as much of the estrogen as possible. So now that Jessica was here and doing well it was time to turn our focus on saving my life. The next day I started radiation therapy for my pelvis and vertebrae.

The doctors needed to stop the cancer in the bones in hopes to stabilize my hips so I could walk again. After four weeks of radiation the tumor on my pelvis shrunk 75% and now was at a point where surgery could be done to remove the remaining tumor and bone cement and titanium rods where placed in my pelvis to prevent any further breaking of the bones.

The end of January I had surgery on my pelvis. The surgery was a success, but now it was time for us to go back home to Sacramento and start physical therapy where I had to learn to walk again. But we knew we had to find someone to help us fight this "war" that my body was going through. We were told about an amazing facility in Arlington Texas.

In March, we flew down to Dr Karel Dicke at the Arlington Cancer Center for a consultation. We felt that he was the man for us. He wanted to attack this "war" from all angles. We came home, packed up our house and moved to a small apartment in Arlington so we could be close to Dr Dicke. My husband did his best to work from there, but family and friends helped us so we could stay together as a family in Texas to try to save my life. While in Texas I did nine rounds of chemotherapy, Taxol, Adriomycin, cytoxin, taxatere, and started weekly Herceptin. I also had a mastectomy and radioblation done on my liver lesions.

After a tough nine months I was in remission. Dr. Dicke gave us the green light to come back home to California. Once home I was under the watchful eye of Dr Kristi Boboblis in Roseville, California. I immediately started six weeks of radiation on my breast, followed by weekly maintenance chemo, Taxol, Taxatere, Navelbene, Zometa, Xeloda, and Herceptin. I travel down to Arlington every three months for scans and check-ups. I am now going on five years since
my diagnosis. I am a "SURVIVOR".

This experience has taught me sooooo much. It has been a tough road, but it is a road that I would not change for the world. I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. My dear friends from chemo, I love them all to pieces. Life is a gift, and I love everyday of it. I love watching the sun rise and set.

My goal is to let people know that you can live with cancer. But you have to stay positive. Cancer can be a game. Trying to figure out the drugs, and insurance companies. It can really get you down, but take one day at a time and this will work out.

I have been involved with our local Susan G Komen foundation, my Race for the Cure team (Boobie Patrol) is now over 100 walkers strong. I feel that it is sooo important to support the breast cancer foundations. Because of you, survivors like me are surviving. I can't thank you enough.

Financially, cancer can be hard. Not only are you fighting for your life, but you are financially fighting. Treatments like I have are not cheap. My husband is now having to work two jobs to help pay for my medical bills. I am not able to work. I am a dental hygienist, but my back is so bad that I can not do hygiene any more. Plus with all my chemo and doc appointments, I have a full time job of just being a cancer patient. I am also a full-time mom of my almost five-year-old, Jessica.

Life is a gift, and I want to do all I can to help others get through their cancer treatments with a smile on their face.

Thank you again for all you do. Please keep it up! We need you!!!!!!!!!!

El Dorado Hills, California

Lisa's Story from Iowa

My Journey

I call this my journey because I see it as just a bump in the road of life and God's plan for me. My journey started in November of 2006. I found a lump in my left breast and thought I don't have time to go to the doctor right now, I was a single mom of three, just found a new boyfriend and was working three jobs to make ends meet. So I put off going to the doctor till a week or so before Christmas when things were starting to slow down at one of my jobs.

My doctor did the exam and wanted me to have a mammogram right away but the hospital in Shenandoah couldn't get me in till after the new year so she called around to other hospitals close and got me an appointment the next day in Red Oak,Ia.

While I was there they did an ultrasound and decided I needed a biopsy the next day and an MRI the day after that. The biopsy came back positive for Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, and the MRI showed a small lump in my right breast also. So back for another biopsy on the right breast and two days before Christmas I was told I had cancer in both breast and was recommended I have a double mastectomy.

Well we made it through Christmas with as much normality as possible and reading up as much as I could about breast cancer and my options so when I saw the surgeon I wasn't going in blind. I found a wonderful surgeon in Omaha, NE. He talked to me for two hours on my first visit and answered all my questions and concerns.

We scheduled my surgery for January 15th 2007 a double Mastectomy without reconstruction, I decided that the pain from the surgery was enough for me and my family to endure at one time. So the day of my surgery arrives and it snowed eight inches through the night and we, my new boyfriend Christian and I, had an hour drive that took two hours because of the snow ahead of us.

The surgery went perfect, I stayed three days in hospital with him by my side the whole time and went home with four drain tubes, more pain that I have ever had to endure in my life, being totally dependent on my family and no breast!

My two daughters Amanda, 14, and Hope, seven, at the time (my son Brandon 21 lives on his own) and Christian nursed me back to health, I felt so guilty that they had to take care of me, I am suppose to take care of them. Without them I would not have been able to do anything for myself, the pain in my chest and arms kept me from doing things for myself, bathing, brushing my hair, cooking was not an option so my girls and Christian did it all.

Then it was time for chemotherapy six rounds of a triple cocktail of poison once every three weeks. Starting the 20th of February, all my hair fell out within three weeks after my first dose, I was devastated even though I knew it was going to fall out nothing prepares you for the reality of it.

Well I have made it through everything so far with a smile on my face most days and a song in my heart. With the help of my friends who brought food for my family when I was recovering and the love and support of my family and my strength from God. Without everyone backing me up my journey would have been a lot harder, I thank everyone who has been there for me!

My story isn't any different than any of the others I have read but it was nice sharing it with others who have been where I have been and know what it is all about. Good luck to everyone who is still going through their journeys and to all those who have finished theirs. I wish breast cancer would stop with my story and nobody else had to go on this journey but I know that won't happen.

For all those wondering my new boyfriend Christian stuck with me through all of this and is still by my side today! My love and trust in God has kept me strong for my family. To Amanda, Hope, Brandon, My Parents, Sharon and Christian THANK YOU for all you have done and I LOVE YOU ALL!

Farragut, Iowa

Patricia's Story from California

I have a wonderful dear friend whom I have known for 13 years. Her name is Janet, and I have felt blessed during the 13 years I have known her.

She is a single mother raising three beautiful daughters on her own, and although she has gone through many trials and hardships in her life she always manages to keep a smile on her face and have a positive outlook to life. I have never known her to be bitter or angry.

I found out a little over a year ago that Janet had stage three breast cancer. I found myself praying and questioning God, as to why He let this happen to her, somebody who has gone through so much already.

Janet went for chemo and radiation to shrink the lump, and then have a lumpecyomy, after her surgery she went for more radiation. I saw Janet about three weeks ago at church. As is normal for Janet, she had a big smile on her face and a hug for me. Instead of telling me about all she had been through, she told me about some of the funny things that had happened to her, while fighting cancer.

One of the stories she shared with me was when she was barbecuing and her wig melted due to the heat of the fire, all she could do was laugh and say she learned a valuable lesson, take your wig off before you barbecue.

Janet has lost a lot due to breast cancer. Being self-employed she has lost her income, her hair, and this has been financially hard on her. But through all this she has not lost her faith, her love for helping others, her love for her family and friends, her sense of humor or her inward beauty. I known everyone has someone to write about, and I also know every battle with breast cancer is every women’s battle.

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer this month. I am writing about Janet, so others can see that there is hope in this extremely hard situation. I can say without a doubt that she is a survivor. I know that having breast cancer has to take courage, hope, faith, and the will to fight. Janet has all of these things plus a beautiful smile. That is why I wrote her story. I think she deserves some pampering, as will as some financial support.

Murrieta, California

Gay's Story from Tennessee

In early September of 2000 my husband and I found a lump in my breast. It was time for my annual mammogram. I made an appointment to have it at the Jackson Clinic. In a few days I received a letter from them saying that my mammogram showed up good with nothing suspicious of cancer. I assumed then that the lump was like the one in my sister’s breast that was benign.

I went to my internal medicine doctor in early November, and he checked me. He told me he had received the letter stating that my mammogram was okay. I told him I still had the lump and it seemed to be growing. He said he would take a look at it. He examined the breast and said he needed a surgeon to look at it.

I made an appointment for late November after the surgeon got back from Thanksgiving vacation. He did a needle biopsy that very first appointment. I returned the following Thursday for the results. So on December 5th I found out it was malignant.

He told me the tumor was in the tube, and if it hasn’t penetrated the tube, I would leak. I asked if we could wait until after Christmas for surgery as we were busy at our dry good store we own. He said he wouldn’t advise waiting, and he could operate that Saturday. I had two choices, a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.

I said I had read about lumpectomy and would that be okay for me. He said that would be fine but I would need automatically 36 radiation treatments. I went that day to the hospital and had all the necessary tests so all I had to do was check in on Saturday.

On Saturday they put me in a room and I went to surgery at 9:00 am. He said I did well. He took out the lump and surrounding tissue. He said he thinks he got it all and it would be fine as long as it hadn’t penetrated the tube. I felt real good and ate my lunch.

My daughter and daughter-in-law were with me and I told them I felt fine. So they left and went Christmas shopping. He told I needed to spend the night because of my age. He called the hospital at 8:00 pm to check on me. The nurses told him I was fine and I was asking if I could go home. He wrote out the discharge papers and I went home.

I did fine that night and went to church the next morning. Most people at church were surprised to see me. I had a follow up appointment on Thursday. He told me that it had penetrated. I had two choices, have all my lymph nodes removed or have the sentinel lymph node procedure. That is when they give you a shots of radioactive dye to work up the first lymph node after which you are carried to surgery; the lump is removed and examined for cancer cells very thoroughly.

I had the sentinel surgery and returned the following Thursday for results. I would recommend this surgery to anyone who has breast cancer. He said I had microscopic cells and I would need all lymph nodes removed. I had the rest removed and they found no cancer in them.

My cancer was rated a one and a half on a four point scale because of the first lymph node. I went to an oncologist. He said I needed four chemo before the radiation and four chemo treatments afterwards. The chemo made me very sick and I landed in the hospital after each treatment. The radiation was not as bad. It just made me very tired.

My husband and family were very supportive of me during this time. After the treatments were over, he put me on Tomoxiphen by mouth for two and a half years afterwards. I then took Arimedex for the next two years. Now I return to the doctor once a year for blood tests. So far there has been no cancer.

I had a wonderful oncologist who encouraged me throughout the whole ordeal. He would tell me I had a good attitude and that meant a lot toward my recovery. I never lost faith in God and I feel my prayers were answered.

I told my doctor I used Ole Hambone’s philosophy- No need to mope, fuss or cuss if things were changed they could be wuss. My caregivers were great and my husband was wonderful. I would like to thank them all. Also I’m glad I had the sentinel lymph node procedure the doctor said it could have spread if they hadn’t checked those lymph nodes.

Jackson, Tennessee

Jeri Ann's Story from California

This is of my mom. My mom Jeri Ann, had neck surgery in Feb 2007 for disc degeneration. She recovered from that and was seeing a surgeon and had scheduled double knee replacement for the first of June 2007.

While doing a self breast exam in March she found an unusual lump...She was diagnosed with ductal & lobular cancer. On May 1st 2007 she had a double mastectomy.

She started her chemo in June, and everything went down hill from there. She became very ill from the chemo...not from the side effects of the chemo, which are horrible, but after several weeks and her having seizures and we almost lost her, we found out that she is not tolerant to the chemo. Her body was having reactions to the chemo itself, so the doctor tried a Taxol treatment and she seems to be doing quite well with that.

In the middle of September 2007 she found out that her insurance company, Secure Horizons, is dropping her, which means she will have no insurance coverage! She will be done with this regimin of chemo in Nov. the week before Thanksgiving.

Then is to start radiation the first of December, then of course five years of pill taking, Plus follow up appointments. My mom is worn out from this disease and needs something to give her hope, this money would be very helpful, so that she could continue her treatments. Without this money she would not be able to continue the treatments and therefore give up and die...

She has six daughters that have been giving and taking care of her for endless hours. We love our mom and the values she has instilled in us.

PLEASE HELP OUR MOM!!! Thank you for offering this opportunity.

Whittier, California

Jeri's Story from Utah

I am writing on behalf of my mother, Jeri, who is at this time battling breast cancer. I went to Southern California this past summer to be with her during the beginning treatments of her chemotherapy. I felt like I was going to die watching my mother go through what she did. I said to myself, "if it were me I couldn't do this."

My mother was so very sick, her weight plummeted, the iron treatments, the allergic reactions to the treatments, the blood transfusions, the seizure, the nausea and vomiting. But like most fighters, my mom keeps on going because it is what she has to do.

My Mom retired and then was diagnosed with lobular and ductal breast cancer and had double mastectomies. The self images she feels are so sad as a daughter to watch. She is a very giving and loving mother of six daughters. She cares more for the neighbor and her ailing husband than what she is going through.

Not long ago she found out that her insurance is ending at the end of the year and she will need to find new doctors and insurance to continue her treatments. There has been one stress added to another but she just keeps on going and doing what she needs to do. I worry about her financial state.

She gets up and still goes to her Silver Sneakers water classes so she can feel and get better. She is a woman that has given to the community through programs that work with families court ordered to take classes that she taught. She loved working with the families. She served in her church, community, and work.

She is my hero and I love her so much and she has made me a stronger and better person today. Please consider her for your "Think Pink For Life" winner, because she is my winner.

Saratoga Springs, Utah

Ginger's Story from Utah

My story begins not when I found out I had cancer, but several years before.
I am 45 years old, but when I was about 27 years old, my mom, age 45 at the time, was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed to have a radical mastectomy.

She went through all the chemo, radiation, and other surgeries that one goes through and had a long recovery, but today she is alive and doing well. Because of her cancer, the doctor told me that I should take every precaution to check myself and do whatever is necessary to catch the first signs of any cancer. In other words, “I’m at high risk so watch myself.” I wanted to just shrug it off. I never get sick. I’ll be okay. But, in the back of my mind I knew I needed to be careful.

Flash forward to age 33. It was the summer of 1995, and I was doing my monthly exam when I felt a tiny lump in my right breast. I immediately got into my doctor. He checked it and even had me get a mammogram, but nothing was conclusive. He told me to check back in a month. I came back and I could tell that it had changed. It was still small however.

My doctor decided I’d better see a specialist and have it removed just to be safe. ( months later my doctor told me that he was just about to have me leave and check back ever so many months since I was so young but he had a strong feeling that I needed it taken out as soon as possible ***Thank you Dr. Stacy***)

It’s interesting that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and it is the same month I had my surgery and received the news. I still have the page marked in my journal where I wrote about it. Here is the excerpt from that day.

Oct. 11, 1995
“My surgery went well. I was in and out in under two hours. I feel as if I have a very sore muscle under my right arm. I went to see Dr. Peterson at 2:00 p.m. He removed the bandage to check for swelling and drainage. Then he gave me the news- the lump was CANCER.

I felt as if a hot flash went over my entire body. I tried to listen intently as he explained things to me and what would happen next. He said I was young and I caught it early so it is treatable and that I should be fine. The lump was less that a centimeter in size. I was trying very hard not to cry. He said he was sorry to have to give me such news and I smiled and said I’d be okay. It wasn’t until I got to the car that I broke into tears.

I drove straight to Todd (my husband’s) work which wasn’t far away. I could hardly talk when I told him. He hugged me and told me everything would be okay. I then drove home and suddenly it was if my whole life was flashing before me. I began to worry about my four children ( ages 11, 9,6,5 at the time) I found myself saying I just don’t have time for something like this to happen in my life. I have a family and home to take care of. I have responsibilities with my church and I help at my children’s school. How could this be happening to me?”

Well, despite how busy our lives are, trials do happen. This was mine. I could either deal with it the best I knew how, or I could worry myself to death over it. For the next nine months I would go through chemo and radiation treatments. My treatments would be on the “milder side” as one nurse put it because I had caught it early. My lymph nodes were clear, my estrogen receptors were negative. I just have a strong family history of breast cancer. (my mother, two great aunts, and my grandmother who found hers after me)

On Dec 4, 1995 I had my first shot of chemotherapy. I was so nervous and scared, mostly of the unknown. It ended up being a little tiny needle hooked to a syringe with three different medications in it. It felt cold going in, and I began to feel a bit light headed, but when it was over I felt fine. About midday the nausea started to hit. The first few days weren’t too bad and I thought-I can do this.

Then about three days later I felt so sick and extremely tired that I couldn’t take it. I was crying, and I just wanted to stop the whole treatment and take my chances. I felt as if I was in the worst nightmare of my life. I was restless and couldn’t stop worrying about all the things I needed to do and didn’t have the energy to do.

It was at one of my next chemo appointments that I overheard another patient say something that has stuck with me ever since. She had a more severe form of cancer. Her hair was gone, she had an I V and yet when her friend asked her how she was doing she just smiled and said, “You know, we all have trials in our life, but I know that every trial we have is 10% problem and 90% attitude.” That was it, by changing my attitude I knew I could get through this.

I’d always been a pretty positive person but I’d never had such hard trial to deal with. From then on I did the best I could. Family and friends came in periodically to help with housework, meals and the kids and this was okay. We need to let others serve us from time to time.

My youngest son (now 17) still remembers how I would pick him up from preschool and then go buy him a Happy Meal. We would then come home and I would rest on my bed and he would sit on the floor next to me and watch Barney and Arthur. My 11 year old daughter at the time learned to cook pancakes and Ramen a lot to help me out. I lost a lot of my hair (not totally but quite a bit). I was anxious and moody at times. But I got through it!!

As time went on I slowly got my strength back. My hair grew back thicker, darker, and curlier. Every time I have a bad hair day I’m thankful that I have hair.
Today I continue to have my yearly checkups and mammograms. I even take part in the High Risk Breast Cancer Clinic at the Huntsman Cancer Center in Salt Lake City Utah. I’m thankful each day that I’m watching my family grow and succeed. I have, two sweet little grandchildren and I have a wonderful job at For Every Scrapbook (a division of For Every Body).

If there was ever one thing that caused me to be an avid scrap booker it’s having cancer. I remember looking at my kids’ baby pictures one day while going though treatments and saying to myself “if anything were to happen to me, no one would know what to do with all these pictures, nor would they know the stories behind them.” That is where my new journey began. I guess you could call me the “family historian”.

I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love of family, friends and so much more. I am grateful each day for all I have. When it comes to cancer they say “Hope is the Cure”-- in my book I say “Attitude is the Cure”.

American Fork, Utah

Nikki's Story from Utah

I am the mother of four wonderful children and grandmother of seven. I grew up very happy that there was no history of breast cancer in my family. I got divorced 10 years ago and have been living on my own and supporting myself since. A long history of normal mammograms lulled me into not worrying that I was a few months late for my yearly appointment.

In late April 2006, I noticed a lump in my left breast during a self exam. Baffled, I immediately called my doctor and had a mammogram just a few days later. The lump worried the doctors – it terrified me. Then 61 years old, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It was a blow I wasn’t ready for – hearing the doctor say the word “cancer” was completely numbing and shocking at the same time. The next month was a whirlwind of doctor appointments, hospital stays, and visits from family and friends. After the diagnosis, I was given the choice of a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Neither option was great, but the decision had to be made.

To beat the cancer, my best bet was a mastectomy. Just a few days later, I had a complete mastectomy of my left breast. During the surgery, the doctor also removed 23 lymph nodes. With my kids helping me recover at the hospital, the doctor told us all that the cancer was Grade III Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. My ductal cancer was not hereditary, but it was incredibly aggressive and very dangerous. By the time of the mastectomy, the tumor was 35mm across and had spread to four of the 23 lymph nodes they removed.

The doctors said there was a chance they got all of the cancer with the mastectomy & lymph node resection. However, since the cancer spread to the lymph nodes there was no way to know for sure where the cancer had spread. With each step complete, I thought “the hardest part is over.” Each new step continued to get worse than the last. The impact of the chemotherapy & radiation were much bigger than I had expected.

Barely recovered from the mastectomy, chemotherapy started. Every other week, I drove myself to the hospital for chemo treatments. The doctors said I’d lose my hair after about a month of treatments. I was devastated when my hair started falling out within days. I didn’t expect it, but losing my hair was a very shocking sign that something was wrong. My cancer was real.

Chemo lasted three months and it seemed like it would never end. After making it through the chemo, daily radiation treatments started. I drove myself to the hospital five days a week for five weeks straight.

During the radiation, Lymphedema settled in my left arm – caused by my new lack of lymph nodes on that side. The Lymphedema caused fluid buildup in my arm and along with it came poor circulation and constant pain. To fight the fluid buildup, I now wear a compression sleeve on my left arm. I am still seeing a therapist for the Lymphedema, but it doesn’t appear to be getting any better.

I developed trouble breathing, so in January my Oncologist sent me to the LDS emergency room to rule out a blood clot in my left lung. The diagnosis came back as Radiation Pneumonitis. Unfortunately, the emergency room visit left me with a $400.00 charge my insurance didn’t cover. Since moving to the Salt Lake City area eight years ago, I’ve worked at least 40 hours a week as a medical assistant and lived on my own.

By the end of the chemo, I was only able to work about 15 hours a week. Even though I had insurance, my reduced work schedule and remaining medical expenses had completely tapped out my savings.

By March 2007, I thought I was doing well and back to working full time. One and a half weeks before my reconstructive surgery my Oncologist called with not so good news about my heart. I was sent to a cardiologist and was told about the findings of my echocardiogram. Congestive Heart Failure. It was another diagnosis I didn’t want to hear – or stomach.

The Congestive Heart Failure was a side effect of the Herceptin I was receiving intravenously at the oncologist office as part of my chemo. After that diagnosis, I was given a stress test. The diagnosis from that was a possible blockage. From there I had an Angiogram. The Angiogram showed no blockage, so that was great news. Still, my heart strength was steadily declining.

The first echocardiogram showed my heart at about 50%, but by the end of the testing it was down to only 25%. I was tired, sluggish and it was very tough to do anything more than walk around my house.

My cardiologist tacked on three heart medications to my daily pile of pills and restricted my work hours. Thankfully, my heart is getting better. I was scheduled for my reconstructive surgery on March 27th, but that got put on hold because of my heart issues. Before my heart problems, I worked hard to save up about 50 hours of leave. That would have been enough for my reconstructive surgery, but I had to take most of the leave since I wasn’t working and needed the money to make ends meet.

Eventually, my heart was strong enough that the doctors felt comfortable doing the reconstructive surgery. They removed my skin expander & built a new breast using an implant and some skin from my thigh. I recovered well from that surgery and was feeling better each day. As my heart got stronger, I had more and more energy and was able to work a full schedule again. My hair was growing back and I got my first haircut since starting my cancer treatments. My Oncologist pronounced me cancer free. It was wonderful news. Cancer free!

I thought everything was going to get back to normal. Only a month later, my work and family started noticing some confusion and forgetfulness. The problems kept getting worse, and I was horrified about the risk of losing my job. I saw my oncologist several times about the symptoms, but she dismissed it as chemo brain. It wasn’t until my daughters went in with me to talk to my oncologist that anything other than chemo brain was considered. My daughters pushed for an answer.

My symptoms were getting worse and chemo brain should get better with time. The doctor scheduled an MRI “to make my daughters happy.” Within a week I had the results of the MRI. Again, it wasn’t good news. The MRI showed a 35 by 25 mm mass deep in the right side of my brain. The tumor was pushing on my brain’s midline causing it to shift to the left. Worse news: the tumor is inoperable.

To see if the cancer had spread anywhere else, I had a bone scan and a CAT scan. Thankfully, the workup revealed no other evidence of cancer in my body. My Radiation Oncologist suggested a biopsy to determine the type of tumor. My follow on treatment plan was different if it was brain cancer (aka primary tumor) or breast cancer that spread to the brain (aka secondary or metastatic tumor). The biopsy carried significant risks, but without knowing exactly what kind of cancer it was, the treatment plan was just a shot in the dark.

I decided, almost immediately, to proceed with the biopsy. I met the neurosurgeon with two of my daughters and was scheduled for a needle biopsy on Sept 6, 2007. The recovery from the surgery was slower than expected, but after two nights in the hospital I was discharged. I went home complete with a new titanium plate attached to my skull.

Before I left the hospital, the results from the biopsy came in. The breast cancer had moved to my brain. I have weakness throughout my left side and it will only get worse. The doctors offered several choices in radiation therapy, but more chemo was not going to help. The size of the tumor was at the borderline for being too big for the gamma knife to give much benefit. Instead, we chose a new 3D radiation treatment.

The radiation to treat the brain tumor was scheduled for 10 days over a two week period. The treatments left me tired, but all my hair stayed put. On the second Tuesday of my radiation treatments I woke up and couldn’t move. One of my daughters was staying with me and could not get me out of bed. She called a great friend of mine who is an RN and my daughter in California. I was quickly on the way to the hospital.

Initially, the doctors thought I might have had a stroke. After lots of tests, a stroke was ruled out. Their best guess was that I had multiple seizures over the night. My son and daughter in Salt Lake and my RN friend were with me all day in the hospital. One of my daughters and her husband from California were at the hospital in Salt Lake only five hours after she got the call. I spent another night in the hospital.

I’m now on a different anti-seizure medicine and I haven’t had any more seizures. My kids are in the process of moving me to my daughter’s house in Salt Lake. The entire cancer experience has been tough, but leaving my own place is extremely difficult.

My radiation is done and I go in for another MRI next week to see if the treatment shrunk the tumor. My doctors told me I’m completely & permanently disabled. I can no longer live alone, drive, or work. We all hope for the best.

This has put a huge hardship on my entire family. My daughters are losing work and pay to be with me. One has flown up from California four times and driven up once since my brain tumor diagnosis two months ago to relieve my other daughter that lives here.

Since working as a medical assistant isn’t the highest paying job out there, I also cleaned houses to earn extra money. That brought in almost $300 extra a month. That work is now gone too.

My kids have done wonders weeding through all of the disability, social security, and insurance paperwork. I’m scheduled to get my first disability check next week, but it’s only a fraction of what my previous paychecks were. We’re in the process of selling my car to help pay for my expenses.

Cancer is an extremely difficult battle. My independence has been stripped from me. It is a terrible disease that takes every ounce of strength that I have to fight. Thank you for your time and I very much appreciate being considered for this wonderful gift.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Meredith's Story from Utah

I am 43 years old, married with five children and two grandchildren. My mother died six years ago from ovarian cancer so I have been aware of the importance of regular physicals and tried my best to do so.

At the age of 39 and after a 12 year gap of four other children I had one more daughter to add to the two sons and two daughters I had previously. As time slipped away at having a baby in the house again two years had gone by and I had not been back for a regular physical. I just turned 42 and realized I had never had a mammogram. I had heard that 40 was the age to start having them.

So I made an appointment. At that appointment they saw, as they said suspicious looking noguals that they wanted to watch and since this was my first mammogram wanted to get a better history on me, so at the time the scheduled me to have an ultrasound. They said everything was ok and would see me in six months. Which I went to, and they said everything was fine.

Too my surprise six months went by and I received another card in the mail for another six month follow up. At that time I thought I threw the card away dismissing it because I thought I didn't need to go until a year had passed. Two weeks later that card showed up again among some papers and this time decided I might as well go get it checked and know for sure that everything was okay.

So I did, and to my surprise one set of films turned in to two more, then an ultra sound, a biopsy and then to two days later I found out I had cancer. It was only 1.2 cm in size but it was against my chest cavity and without the mammogram I myself wouldn't found it until it was very large in size.

I had surgery and have clean margines, but all along they thought it was a grade 2 tumor slow growing and would only have to be treated with hormone therapy. Two days after the surgery I found out it was two tumors growing together one side just as they had suspected and the other cells being very aggressive grade 3 and trying to spread to at least one limpnode.

I am now being treated with eight rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and then the hormone therapy. Trying to stay positive has been hard with still trying to work to maintain health insurance while filling sick but its worth it all to me so that I can be around for my husband and kids and grandkids.

Thank you for programs like yours that continue to help people be more aware and the importance of taking care of ourselves. Since my diagnoses my six sisters have all had their mammograms, sister-in-laws, and friends that have always been afraid to. I am now teaching my two teenage daughters to do regular self exams and the importance of regular checkups. My almost four-year-old doesn't quite understand, except that mom doesn't feel good and has no hair, but we will make sure she is aware at the proper time.

Provo, Utah

Joan's Story from West Virginia

Where there is life there is hope. My story began in April 1993 when I was 58 years old. I am now 72. I really need to go back to the beginning.

Since I was around 35 years old I had periodic cysts and tumors in my breasts. They were all benign. I had regular yearly mammograms and breast exams because my grandmother died with breast cancer when I was 2l. My mother had her breasts stripped to keep from getting breast cancer and my sister had a double radical mastectomy at the age of 29, so I was very aware of developing it at some age.

When I had my mammogram at 58 years old it was found that I had calcifications in my right breast which were cancerous. My right breast was removed and 2l lymph nodes. It had passed through l lymph node. I had been led to believe that self breast examinations or a breast exam by a doctor would find any sign of cancer. No doctor had ever mentioned calcifications to me (which can only be detected by a mammogram) When I speak at public meetings or to women in general,(especially to my two daughters and two granddaughters I emphasize the importance of getting a yearly mammogram because of calcifications that can go undetected.

I personally think that women, especially with a family history should insist on a mammogram starting at 30 even if they have to pay for it. I had my left breast removed as a precautionary measure and have never regretted it. They can have reconstructive surgery or there are wonderful breast forms and beautiful bras available. My encologist advised me that my physician should never have put me on hormone replacement therapy. I was on it for 10 years.

When I was 1st diagnosed I had six months of very strong chemotherapy and lost all of my hair for the lst time. After six months, my scans were clear and I was considered in remission. I took tomaxifin for five years and assumed all was well. I was not on Medicare at this time and had to pay 20% on all of my treatments which created a financial burden from which I am still recovering.

I continued to go to my encologist every three months for a checkup and blood work and yearly CT scans. In July 2004 I went for blood work which showed that something had changed. I had a chest x-ray, CT scan On July 26, 2004 I had a needle biopsy of my right lung (at which time my lung collapsed). The biopsy showed that my breast cancer had matastized to my right lung after 14 years.I was advised at that time that I had HER2 protein receptors which only 25% of breast cancer patients have.

The only treatment at that time was Herceptin. I had another port placed in my chest wall (Again my lung collapsed)I started on my Herceptin (intraveinously)on August 13th,2004 33 treatments lx a week plus Taxol (chemo) starting in Nov.2004. I finished these treatments in March,2005. I lost my hair for the second time and had scans. I was in remission again. I was put on maintenance Herceptin lxmonth from July 8,2005 through Dec.2005 (still in remission).

I had a Pet scan Jan.22,2006. The cancer was back. I started Chemo-Taxol and Herceptin until Aug. 19,2006. I had CT Scan. I was in remission again. I lost my hair again.

The cancer came back Feb.2007, I started on a new drug (pill) called Tykerb specifically for women with HER 2 positive receptors in May, 2007 (It was appr0ved by the FDA in MArch,2007. I also started on Xeloda) cancer pill in April, 2007. I had a Pet Scan on Aug.12,2007. I was in remission again at this time (Oct.15,2007)

I thank God for giving the doctors and researchers the knowledge to come up with new methods of treating this terrible disease. My prayer is that soon they will find a cure so that I can ease m mind about my daughters and granddaughters. I have learned through all of this that you have to call upon your inner strength even in the tough times. I was blessed with a wonderful husband as a caregiver and encourager. I now keep in touch in the women in my community who are going through treatments for various types of cancer. I hope that in some small way I have been an inspiration to them. Thank you for this opportunity to tell my story so that it may help others who may have the opportunity to read this.

Pineville, West Virginia

Rosie's Story from Utah

I am a mother of three boys and was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2006. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I found a lump on my left side while taking a shower. I didn't want to think about it, but I couldn't imagine not being around for my family and not seeing my children grow up without a mother.

I went to see my doctor right away. Within a week I was talking to a surgeon scheduling my surgery. It all happened so fast. I needed to have a mastectomy done in July then followed chemotherapy for four months. The cancer was in stage 2 and the tumor was fast growing.

It was a struggle for my family and I. I am thankful to be alive! Having cancer has changed my life and how I feel about life I live for me any my family, love life everyday!

After my chemo was finished, I was on to re-constructive surgery. I needed to have three of them, and it turned out good. Thank you Dr. Self for getting my life back to normal. Now I am enjoying life with my family. Live 4 the challenge....

West Valley City, Utah

Carol's Story from Minnesota

In January 2006, I was feeling very overwhelmed by all that was going on in my life and things I was trying to do. One night was strange – I remember just having this feeling that something was wrong with me but not knowing what it was. This led to me taking a break and stepping down from a few volunteer activities.Then I decided that I should go to the doctor since I couldn’t remember when I had last been there.

It ends up that May 2003 was my last physical. Once I made the appointment, I decided to do a self-check. I found a lump in my breast. I have had two before and both turned out to be nothing so I wasn’t too concerned. At my doctor appointment, we decided that I should go in for a mammogram – expecting it to be a cyst and to have it aspirated. From the atypical mammogram experience, to having a biopsy performed, I felt quite sure by the time I left there I had cancer!

The official diagnosis came on February 10, 2006 – my mom’s 81st birthday! She was visiting here in MN, so I was able to tell her face to face. Not exactly my idea of a birthday gift! But, having her here, and the support she could give was just phenomenal.

There is no family history of breast cancer, so this has all been a huge learning experience. I can’t believe all the terminology that I learned in those early months.

Then, my surgery experience began. We started with a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. There was cancer in one of the two nodes that they took, so they continued with an auxiliary node dissection – removing several lymph nodes from my right underarm. In evaluating the tumor that was removed, they discovered DCIS. Because of that, I would undergo surgery a second time - this time for a right mastectomy.

When this was looked at, they found the DCIS to be extensive, and there was another tumor which had not been seen on the mammogram! Now, I was nervous about my left breast. So, my husband & I, along with my surgeon, decided I would also have a left mastectomy. So, along came surgery number three!

The good news is that nothing more was found. When all was said and done, my diagnosis was DCIS and Stage 2 IDC. As soon as possible after the surgeries, my chemotherapy began. I still had a drain in my side from my last surgery, but we proceeded anyway. I was anxious to get things going!

I experienced extreme nausea with my first treatment, but then we found an anti nausea drug that worked for the next treatments! I had been hoping to return to teaching after I found out how I handled the chemo, but eventually decided against it. I was 40 years old and my children were in 4th and 2nd grade. Any energy that I had available needed to be devoted to them and my husband!

When that decision was made, I went in and talked to my classes to let them know of my decision. I wanted them to know that I would miss them, but that I needed to take care of myself right now! I also found a support group for families dealing with cancer. They had a great program which was such a blessing to my kids! They could go and share their feelings with others going through the same experience. It was a great opportunity for them to discover that they weren’t alone in this process!

Once chemo was complete, my kids and I went to Indiana for our annual visit to my family. We had a great time there, and enjoyed a stop in Chicago on the return home. Once we returned, I began weekly Herceptin treatments to keep the cancer from returning. It is also an IV drug which I received at the same office as I had gotten my chemo. It was different being there each week for Herceptin. I watched other patients come & go – a few ended up hospitalized and eventually dying. Others were there for their initial treatments and still trying to figure out what all of this meant. For me, it just became part of my weekly routine. I would pick up a pizza and a movie on the way home for our Friday Family Movie Night! That is a wonderful tradition that developed out of this whole experience!

I have also been taking Tamoxifen since August 2006. I will take it for five years. I went through “chemopause” and stayed that way. I’ve had to revamp my wardrobe to one of layers to deal with my hot flashes. I’ll be freezing one minute and boiling the next!!

And now, I’m working to make use of the things that I learned during this journey! I am back to teaching part-time this year. I teach Algebra 2 at Mayer Lutheran High School. It is so great to be interacting with the high school students again and sharing my love of math! I also keep busy with my children’s activities and continue with many volunteer opportunities at my church and my children’s school. I still have check-ups every three months. I’ve had a few “scares” as well, but upon further evaluation, nothing has been found.

I’m still updating my Caring Bridge website (http://www.blogger.com/www.caringbridge.org/visit/carolesser)and reading the blogs of other cancer survivors. It’s a strange reality knowing that the only way to be “cured” of breast cancer is to die of something else!

But, I also know that we all have different stresses in our lives to deal with. We can declare them to be too much, lie down, and give up. Or, we can choose to make the best of the good things that we can find in our lives. I never would have chosen to have breast cancer, but I have been amazed at the many blessings and learning and sharing opportunities that I have had because of it. God continues to be faithful in my life, lifting me up as I continue on this journey!

Mayer, Minnesota

My Mother's Story from Texas Written by Ronee

My mother was diagnosed with DCIS in 1999 and had a mastectomy. We were advised no treatment was needed that she was cancer free. This past August we went in for test because something was going on with her. She has now been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, and it has spread to her liver and lungs.

She has been under-going chemo and treatment with the drug herceptin and is showing great improvement. This cancer is not curable only treatable to slow down its progression.

Prayer has been our strength. Cancer shows you so much, and it teaches you tolerance and forgiveness.

Crosbyton, Texas

Nancy's Story from Utah

Four days after my husband, Bill and I returned from our honeymoon, I received a telephone call from IHC with information requesting that I go in for a mammogram. As I was listening to the caller go on about breast cancer awareness, in my head I was saying to myself that a mammogram was the last thing I wanted to do.

I had not been screened while I was in England on a year and a half mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I had not gone in for a screening after returning home. So, it had been about two years since my previous screening.

I was not anxious to go in at that time either. In fact, having a mammogram was the last thing I wanted to do! However, when the caller was at the end of her "info-mercial" she asked if she could make an appointment for me to have a mammogram. I heard myself answer, "Yes, how soon can we set it up." I wondered whose voice that was, speaking those words!

An appointment was made for January 16th.....two weeks away. Bill and I went to the hospital, everything was rather routine, and I waited to hear the results. No telephone call, no post card, nothing until the end of January. Then I received a post card stating that there was a problem with the mammogram and would I come in for another one! So, I telephoned the hospital and asked for another appointment....which was for February 6th.

On February 6th Bill and I returned to the hospital for the follow-up. The technician said that it may have been some little movement that did not give a clear mammogram. But, when she finished, she took the film to her director to confirm the x-ray. He came in and reviewed the film with me. He turned the computer screen so that I could see what he was seeing. I had had two lumpectomies before and I knew what clusters of calcification looked like, but there were two black "blobs" in the left breast and I asked what they were. He answered that that was what they were trying to determine.

I then asked what cancer looked like, and he said "pretty much like that" as he pointed to the black blobs. He suggested a needle biopsy to confirm what the blobs were. We made an appointment for the same afternoon and went home for some lunch. Bill gave me a blessing and we prayed together before returning for the biopsy. The worst part of the biopsy....apart from the pain of that very long needle, was the wait for the results.

The biopsy was done on Monday, we had to wait until Wednesday for the results. Bill is an LDS temple worker, and I serve as a Church Service Missionary at the Family History Library on Wednesdays, so it wasn't until 4:30 that I was able to call the hospital for the results. They confirmed that it was cancer.

I then began the search for a surgeon, a hospital, a plastic surgeon, anesthesiologists, etc. that would be within my insurance coverage. I was not able to set up the surgery until March 15th of 2006. Surprisingly, it was done as an out-patient surgery! The surgeon found that it was not two little cancerous growths, it was one very large tumor that was folded up like a pancake and so only the two tip-ends of the tumor showed on the mammogram. She performed a complete mastectomy.

Because there were no lymph nodes involved I did not have to undergo any radiation therapy. Then the oncologist asked if I was willing to send the tumor for some further testing to a lab in California. I agree to the testing, knowing that there was a possibility that it would not be covered by my insurance, and would probably cost about $3,500. for the test. When the test came back I was told by the oncologist that the test is rated from one to 100. The closer the score was to 100, the more aggressive the treatments should be. He told me that my score was five! He said that he had never had a score come back that low, and further, that chemotherapy would not reduce my chance of further cancerous tumors! I have been on aromatase inhibitors for the past 19 months and very careful to watch for further lumps.

I know that I am very blessed to have gone through this with these particular results. I know that I am not in the same "league" as other women who have suffered far worse in their battle against breast cancer. I am very appreciative of every effort made to help find a cure, and support others who are still struggling with the aftermath of breast cancer.

Thanks for what you and your organization are doing. Best wishes to you.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Dorothy's Story from New Jersey

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2005. From then on, my life has changed. Not only did they find a mass in my left breast, but also upon routine work up, they found a couple of masses in my left ovary and jejunum.

My doctors were to sure where to begin. It was decided to do surgery on my ovaries first to make sure that my cancer was not a metastasis. Thank God, both tissues came back negative. I still had my breast cancer to deal with. I was devastated. I was one month away from finishing my bachelors' degree in organizational management, and I am a single parent who is the sole provider for my three boys. My oldest was going to college and my youngest was just starting pre-K.

The plan of action was to have chemotherapy first to shrink the mass and then have the mastectomy. After four cycles of full strength chemotherapy and losing all of my hair, I felt like this cannot be happening to me. My first reaction was my life is over. But with the help and support from my family and friends, I pulled through.

Through help and determination, I took my last two classes needed to complete my graduation in between chemo cycles. On May 15, 2006, I graduated from Nyack College with bachelor’s degree in hand!!!

On June 20, 2006, I underwent a radical mastectomy with immediate TRAM breast reconstruction. In September 2006 I completed my last two cycles of chemotherapy. My doctor stated that he treated my cancer aggressively because of the size it was in such a short period of time. I go for my routine mammogram on a yearly basis faithfully. I am just thanking God that it was caught in time.

During this whole ordeal, my finances were dropping and I was getting deeper and deeper in debt. It is my crusade to find out what a person should do when they become diagnosed with a serious illness and they are the sole provider for their family. With God's help, I am still in my home, but still behind with my debt. I was able to utilize some organizations that are out there to offer financial support to breast cancer patients. I try to utilize any support that is out there. Having breast cancer is a struggle and a challenge. It is up to the individual to preservere.

Every chance I get I try to tell women to make sure that they get their mammogram because it can save lives. Being diagnosed with breast cancer is no joke. To this day I am struggling to get back on top. I do not think my life is the same, but I will continue to think positive and move forward. All I can do is take it one day at a time. I feel that God put me here on earth for a reason and he would not put no more on me than I can handle.

I am proud to say that I just participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, and I will be a guest speaker at a function given by the Department of Health in Passaic County as a survivor of breast cancer and will share my story with newly diagnosed cancer patients.

I don't think I can save the world, but if I can help at least one person who hears my story, I will feel like I have done something. Well, this is my story and I hope that my positive thinking and determination can be shared with others so that they to will know that there is life after breast cancer, and together we can beat it!

West New York, New Jersey

Candy's Story from Florida

Hi, my name is Brittany. I am 13 years old, and I'd like to share my story about my hero, my Mom!!!

On April 13, 2007 my mother was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast cancer, she tried to stay strong for me but I know she felt her world was falling apart!!

Late at night I would hear her crying it broke my heart. My mom has always been there for me as my mom and my friend. I can go to her for anything. She gives me advice we share good times and bad!! She's been actively involved in all my school activities, she's been my homeroom mom, our chaperone for every event, Girl Scout leader, chauffer, etc. My mom is my provider, caregiver my everything, she always puts me and others before herself asking nothing in return.

My mom went through Chemo (AKA Red Devil)and Taxol I thought it was going to kill her, she was sick everyday all day, but she still worked. Did I mention she cleaned houses for a living? She knew she would lose her hair by the second chemo so she cut 19 inches of her hair off and gave it to Locks of Love, she said she wanted a child to have her hair so the child could feel good!!

On July 17,2007 my mother had a Masectomy of her right breast and all the Lymph Nodes under her right arm. She had two drains in for four weeks. She had to be off work for two months which added to her worries because if she doesn’t work she doesn’t get paid. She's started radiation and say's she feels like she's been thrown into a deep fat fryer.

It hurts me to see my mom suffer I know it's taken a toll on her and radiation isn’t over. Mom still has two more surgery's to go into next year. It’s been a Long six months of watching her sick, tired, and suffering. Yet, she tells all her friends, family and ladies she meets the importance of checking yourself and having yearly exams. She says if she can save or help one person everything she has gone through was worth it. I truly am the luckiest kid to have her as my mom.

Tampa, Florida

Candace's Story from Ilinois

“My Loved One’s Breast Cancer Story”

“Sugar and spice, and everything nice, that’s what little girl’s are made of. All dressed up in pink, who’d ever think, one could be so beautiful? And she was! My daughter, Candace Michelle, made her debut on a warm August morning. She is forty-three years old now, and we’ve shared many special occasions. However, I never dreamed we’d share the breast cancer story, with the Pink Ribbon emblem.

The early 2000’s found me engrossed in being asked to join the many other volunteers in the walk campaign for the American Cancer Society. I readily accepted. I had lost my maternal grandmother to colon cancer some years earlier.

Candace is the mother of eleven children. Her hubby and she had been divorced several years before his passing in July of 2007. It was during the time of preparation for his burial that I learned, from my sister, of Candace’s illness.

I knew she had been quiet and restless, moving from Illinois to Georgia, then finally to Florida. Not mentioning a word about her suffering! She didn’t seem to know what to do or where to go.

As I reflect back on those times now, I have to wonder what my reaction would have been had I known, that the moves, the uncertainty was all due to her illness.

Having settled in Florida, my native home, with my sister, where she decided to undergo treatments, she returned to Illinois for her husband’s burial. As news of his passing reached my sister in Union City, Georgia, she called me regarding final arrangements for him.

It was during the course of this conversation, that she said to me, “Sis, I think you ought to know, some family members are hesitant about telling you, but Candace has breast cancer.” My response to the news, escapes my memory at the moment. Perhaps I’ll ask my sister, Ruby how I responded, in due time, after this is all over.

I can only imagine feeling shocked and stunned. The same numbness that I’d felt for weeks now, concerning her loss. And now, it was starting all over again. Like a piece of ice, that was almost melted, or a body that was nearly thawed out, then, another jolt of power and it freezes all over again.
I continue with the motions and the emotions of living, only because I believe in the Supreme Power of God! Candace, when asked about her illness, replied simply, “Who told you?” I have never seen her look more lovely, and she seemed in very good spirits.

After about a week, she returned to Florida to begin her cancer treatments. I dreaded seeing her go, wanted to be with her all the way. We usually talk each week and sometimes several times during the week. I can tell on occasions that she’s not feeling well. She assures me that it’s the medication. She explains to me the procedures as best she can.

The treatment center is about 60 miles from our home village. Different family members drive her to the center. There have been times when she was late for an appointment due to car trouble. My sister, her daughter, other family members and friends have been very supportive of her during this ordeal. I would say, totally supportive.

What hurts the most, is recalling all the moves, she became homeless when her power was disconnected, water shut off and not sharing her secret of breast cancer.

As she prepares for surgery in the next few weeks, these thoughts, I’m sure, will be uppermost in my mind. I’ll never forget “our” breast cancer experience, or its little pink symbol. Hopefully, this Christmas, I can purchase her several of the Breast Cancer Awareness gifts, all wrapped in different packages for her to open. At first glance, hopefully, she’ll notice the pink ribbon, and the message that a portion of its cost will be donated to Breast Cancer Awareness.

I walked with my son in the 90’s for St. Jude’s Children Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. My wish is that “our” experience will lead her toward joining the fight against breast cancer. For wining her bout, isn’t what it’s all about; we need to knock this disease out!

Urbana, Illinois

Donna's Story from Tennessee

Cancer. It’s a scary word. “I have cancer” are even scarier words. At the age of 40, I went for a routine mammogram, soon after I was contacted by my doctor. Now when the doctor calls you personally, it’s serious. I was told there were some micro calcifications detected and I would need a biopsy and also told that only 20 % of these are malignant.

I underwent the biopsy, but the calcifications were so small they were breaking apart before they could get them into the Petri dish. In order to get a more definite diagnosis I was scheduled for another more invasive biopsy. This biopsy showed there were cancer cells in the duct better known as DCIS, Ductal Carcinoma InSitu.

Ductal what? Carcinoma…..I knew that to mean cancer. After a brief description from the doctor I went to the internet to find out all I could about this diagnosis. After much prayer and research I chose to have a lumpectomy followed by six ½ weeks of radiation and five years of the drug Tamoxifen.

I didn’t have time to be sick. I have a son, Kyle, who at the time was 11 years old. Kyle has Cerebral Palsy from birth and is in a wheelchair. He is dependent on others for his every need. My husband had just had a hernia repair the day I got the diagnosis. He had actually insisted on me calling the doctors office to get the results instead of waiting for my return appointment the next week. He was so sure the report would be good.

When I got off the phone with the doctor and told him the news he was so drugged from the pain medication for his surgery that he said nothing and just went to sleep. I sat in the floor and cried feeling very much alone when the peace of God just came over me and I thought “I have cancer, I can not do anything at this point to change that” so I went into what I call survivor mode. During this time my husband was not able to help with Kyle very much. We do not have family near by, so I felt an urgency to return to as “normal” a life as I could.

My faith in God gave me the strength to endure what I went through with cancer. I had tried to take care of myself before the diagnosis with diet and regular exercise and I honestly believe it helped me to recover as quickly as I did. I returned to work at my part time job a week after the surgery and walked to the hospital across the street every day for the radiation treatments.

I didn’t look “sick” and didn’t feel “sick”, but I had a disease in my body that had to be killed, this ugly scar where a part of my right breast used to be and a fear of the cancer returning that I had to deal with.

The hospital where I had the radiation treatments has a tradition that after your last treatment you get to ring a giant ships bell that can be heard all over that floor of the hospital. When we would hear the bell we knew somebody had finished their treatments and everybody would stop and clap and cheer. That bell sits on the counter at the end of the nurses’ station where I could see it every day I came in. I could not wait to ring that bell!

The last day I was able to take my son with me, along with some of my coworkers, and I let Kyle help me ring that bell as loud as we could. It was awesome!

That part of the diagnosis was over, now on to fear of a recurrence. It seemed that every time I turned around somebody was telling me about someone they knew whose cancer had “come back”. Every time I heard that I was struck by fear, “what if it comes back”, “what if it is worse next time”, “I can’t die, my child needs me.” One day while listening to the radio I heard the Bible verse of the day “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and a sound mind.” I decided then I would claim that verse over my life and when I feel the fear of cancer I remind myself of this truth. When I reached the 3rd year as a cancer survivor I breathed a small sigh of relief.

Then, this year I celebrated my 5th year as a survivor, which is a huge milestone, and breathed a larger sigh! The cancer diagnosis touched my life in a way nothing ever could have. I know God has a plan for my life and allowed me to go through that time as an encouragement to others.

I am now a “Reach to Recovery” volunteer through the American Cancer Society where others can see me as a survivor, a healthy thriving woman, an encouragement that there is light at the end of the tunnel that once seemed so dark and bleak. Kyle is now 16 and depends on his Momma for daily care, I can’t let him down!

Jackson, Tennessee