Tagged: Breast Cancer story

Karen’s Story – What Cancer Cannot Do

October 22, 2010 – 4:24 PM

Wanted to pass along a little nugget that continues to inspire me throughout my cancer journey (I am 2.5 years cancer free of Stage 3 B, invasive lobular breast cancer!!). May you always find the silver linings and gifts in this life!

Name: Karen

State: Michigan

Breast Cancer Connection: Breast cancer survivor of 2.5 years

What Cancer Cannot Do

Cancer is so limited…

It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot destroy Peace
It cannot kill Friendship
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal eternal Life
It cannot conquer the Spirit
– Author Unknown

Karen from Rockford, MI

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Sherrie’s Story – Too Many Women

September 23, 2010 – 11:03 AM

Name: Sherrie Bothee

State: Michigan

Breast Cancer Connection: Lost her Aunt, Jean, to breast cancer;  her cousins and a family friend are breast cancer survivors

My name is Sherrie Bothee, and breast cancer has influenced my life a great deal. In fact, it has changed my life.

In 2004, I walked a 3-day Avon walk from San Jose to San Francisco. I did this with my best friend, her sisters and mom. We did this to honor her mom who is a survivor and doing great! This was the most difficult thing I have ever done in my entire life. We walked 60 miles in three days. The experience at the finish line was extremely moving, and it was incredibly rewarding. It was worth every step.

At the same time, my Aunt Jean was battling breast cancer. She had been diagnosed, had a double mastectomy, chemo and radiation, she was okay for a couple of years Then it came back and it had spread to her liver and bones. I watched this poor woman battle this disease with every bit of energy she had. I thank God for Hospice who took amazing care of her in her home, so she could be with her family.

In 2005, I walked in an American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event in Rockford. My mom and my aunt who was battling cancer at the time came to see what the relay was all about. They were sitting in the bleachers. When I finished walking, I went up to the bleachers and my aunt said to me, “This is an amazing event, next year I am going to walk with you.” This touched me so. Unfortunately, the following May, just 10 days before the Relay event, my aunt lost her battle to cancer.

At that moment, I decided that I was going to start my own Relay for Life team and help fight this disease. Our team is going on our 4th year in participating in the Relay event in Rockford, Michigan. This has not only impacted me, but my mom and my daughter. They are also very active in the relay. I will continue to have a Relay for Life team as long as I possibly can. We need to raise as much money and awareness as we possibly can to help prevent, and or find a cure for cancer. Every year at the relay, I can still hear those words my aunt said to me, and it brings tears to my eyes.

Just two years later, two of my cousins were diagnosed with breast cancer; one was 38 and the other one, 48. I am thankful to say that they are both cancer free, and are survivors.

I also have had a breast cancer scare myself at the age of 42. I had calcifications, and had to have surgery to have them removed. Thank God the mammogram picked them up as tiny as they were and they were able to remove them. I am a huge advocate of getting mammograms, and I honestly believe that all woman should have them starting at the age of 35. Right now I have two friends fighting breast cancer. It seems like every time I turn around another beautiful woman that I know is being diagnosed.

We need to figure out how this disease can be prevented. Although there have been great strides in detection and less invasive treatments, the most awesome thing would be to find out how to prevent this. There are simply too many women being diagnosed with this disease.

Sherrie Bothee

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Cassie’s Story – A Blessed Journey

August 24, 2010 – 11:35 AM

Name: Cassie

State: Georgia

Status: Fighting Breast Cancer

It’s been more of a blessed journey than a difficult one as so many others testify too. I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost a year ago. I don’t know about the timing, it would have been bad news at anytime, as my life was in the middle of a serious cluster…stuff. I had been attending school part-time and was also unemployed and the bills were everywhere.

On top of that, my teenage son and I were not getting along. The most interesting thing going on was that I was in the middle of a new relationship with a new man. Eventually, the doctor called with the bad news and I took it hard. Is there any other way really? I mean seriously? I cocooned myself for a few days and cried like a baby, feeling sorry for myself and praying for the universe to just go ahead and be done with me. I was almost afraid to tell anyone. I finally got around to telling my family and some of my dear friends and was positively shocked with the amount of out pouring of love from them. To this day it still amazes me.

Within a flash I had been shuffled off to different doctors and then into surgery. I then started weekly chemo treatments and was amazed at how quickly it had all happened. But soon enough I was fully basking in the magical love I had been receiving from all my friends, family and the new man in my life.

Now months later, I’ve lost my hair, gained some weight and have a funny looking new breast (along with an insanely flat stomach!) I wear wigs, put on make-up and still like to slip on my ruby red high heels every chance I get. The most delightful part of this journey is that I have a deeper understanding of what it means to love others and an undying thankfulness and gratefulness to all those who touched my life in the most surprising and unusual ways and my hope is to be a part of bringing that light and understanding of love to others!

Cassie L.

Tell us your story about how breast cancer has impacted your life. Send it to info@pinkcart.com – we’ll select stories to post here and send each published contributor a free 35-gallon Pink Cart.

 

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Andrea’s Story

August 3, 2010 – 10:23 AM

My name is Andrea Harris and I am 44 years old.  In October of 2009, the great love of my life asked me to be his wife.

In May of 2010, I found a lump in my left breast.  I knew something was seriously wrong when the sonogram technician kept rolling over the site of the lump asking me over and over, “So breast cancer does NOT run in your family?”

I had a mastectomy with immediate direct to implant reconstruction on June 1. The lab reports came back showing cancer had spread to one lymph node and as a result, I would need to start chemotherapy as soon as I healed from surgery.

I began chemo on July 12.  My chemotherapy will be over in September and I will then be given an estrogen-blocking drug for the next five years. I have an excellent prognosis.

Immediately after being told I had cancer, I made up my mind to face it like a survivor.  I have learned a great deal about life, myself, and the strength of  love my fiance and I share.  Life has become more precious.  Friendships have grown deeper. My  impending wedding has become more miraculous.

I love my life.  Nothing, cancer included, can rob me of the joys of living it.

Thank you for allowing me to share my story.

Andrea Harris

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Phyllis’ Story – “A Journey of Faith and Support”

July 20, 2010 – 1:17 PM

In June of 2008 I went for my annual mammogram, and as usual I had to go back for further testing. I didn’t think anything of it. Then I got the call that I needed to see a surgeon for a biopsy. I still wasn’t worried; I’d gone through this once before. This time was different. The biopsy came back cancerous. Throughout this journey there was rarely an easy decision to be made. My test results were usually borderline between two options. I went for second opinions and prayed that the doctors who examined me would have their eyes open and provide a clear path. God always answered my prayers, but not always in the way I’d hoped. I had a mastectomy and reconstruction and four rounds of chemo.

I had an incredible support group throughout the journey. My husband supported me in more ways than I can count. My kids, family and friends were there to support me in whatever way possible. My co-workers organized a dinner brigade after my surgery and made sure I didn’t overdo it when I went back to work. I was given names of women who had breast cancer. They shared their experiences and insights and what to expect. I received free scarves and hats for when my hair fell out, bags made with love, postcards and letters from volunteers to show their support, cookbooks and so much more. I was prayed for by people I don’t even know; due to family and friends placing me on their prayer lists. My hair stylist was there for me to rid me of my hair as it fell out – at no charge! I had two co-workers participate in the Avon 2 Day Walk in my honor. I had angels of many forms who walked this journey with me.

I’m a two year survivor and I was able to see my daughter and son graduate from college and see my daughter get married. I plan to be around to grow old with my husband and see any grandchildren that may come along. As terrible as breast cancer is, I was blessed with an incredible support system to help me through it. I wish that everyone had the love and support that I did.

Phyllis Ruedinger
Sterling, VA

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Danielle’s Story

July 7, 2010 – 10:01 AM

Hello,

My name is Danielle Horner. I am a 37 year old mother of 4 from Brookfield, WI. Ten years ago, while pregnant with my second daughter, my mother was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer. The oldest of 3 children, I reacted emotionally but quickly composed myself and began to show support and encouragement for both my mom and younger siblings. My mom went through a lumpectomy, chemo, and radiation and seemed to be on the road to recovery.

I was very optimistic. My mom raised us as a single mother, she was the center of our world. The idea that anything could ever take her away from us was something I couldn’t imagine. My belief was that she had beat breast cancer and it would never worry us again.

I remember the day my mom called me. Almost 3 years had passed and she had some stomach pain. She went in for a lower G.I. scan. The scan caught the lower half of her lungs by accident while looking at her kidneys. There they discovered nodules on both lungs, nearly 20 spots in each. Her cancer had metastasized to her lungs and was now 4th stage and very aggressive. I remember feeling like I had stopped breathing when I heard the news. I wasn’t sure how to react. Do I freak out, start sobbing and screaming or be calm and supportive so that I don’t upset my frightened mom even more? I could not have imagined what the next chapter might be or what the future might hold for my mom and our family.

We were as positive as we could be while witnessing my beloved mom endure countless surgeries, treatments and illness more terrible than you could imagine. She had suffered so many horrible side affects from the treatments, it became unbearable to watch. To fast forward the story a bit, she survived far longer than anyone had anticipated, but took her last breath on November 30th, 2006 at 6:05 in the morning.

My brother, sister and I were blessed with life and love by this incredible woman and were there to witness her graceful exit onto the next place.

At eight and a half months pregnant, I stood before hundreds of friends and family delivering a eulogy for the proud grandma who would never meet her anticipated grandson. My heart was heavier than I can express. A year and a half later, my fourth child was born. Another girl whom I named after my mother. The sadness I carried with me was still great but I was becoming more and more proactive in my life and wanting to feel more security in my own future and the future of my children. I decided to have genetic testing done. Suggested by my doctor, I made an appointment to meet with a genetic counselor and brought my younger sister along with me. It took 2 weeks for the test results to come in. When I received the call with the news from my BRCA Analysis I was pretty confident. Having now lost both of my parents in the past several years to cancer I felt this would be my break. I was wrong. Both my sister and I tested positive for the BRCA2 gene. Our results were shocking. The statistics were very high for both of us and the risks were far too great. We both decided to have prophylactic bilateral mastectomies within moments of hearing our results.

Having one of my mother’s final wishes be that her daughters never suffer from this disease, our decision to go ahead with proactive surgery was simple. I couldn’t imagine making any other choice.

My surgery was March 16, just three and a half months ago. It has been a rough climb, but I would do it again if I had to. I feel a great sense of pride knowing that I have made the right choice for myself, my husband and children and I have honored my mother in the best way I know how.

With surgery being behind me I feel more grateful than ever for my health, my family and friends who have supported me and for the future that shines brighter than ever before.

This is my story…

Sincerely,

Danielle Horner, (Danni)

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Jen’s Story – Meet NED

June 30, 2010 – 4:12 PM

I need to admit something. There’s someone else in my life besides Jeremy my husband. His name is NED. I met NED right around the time they removed my breasts. In fact, it was my surgeon who introduced me to NED. She was ecstatic, she thought we’d be a hit from the very start. And she was right, I liked him. He was handsome and clean. I like clean. At first I felt really relieved to meet NED. I had this image in my mind of what NED would be like, perfect actually…. absolutely perfect. I figured NED and I could go on living together and we’d be one big happy family. I figured Jeremy would get used to this other person in my life. I like NED and I figured he would too.

But after a while I realized that just like Jeremy, NED comes with his own issues. I mean….you know, he looks clean, he wasn’t fat or anything like that, he fit “within the margins” of what a good-looking person should look like, but then he got kind of high maintenance on us. For example, we’d just be going along alright, everyone getting along and he’d make a really big issue out of nothing. He’d insist it was a problem and we’d have to stop everything and focus on NED. Like he was the only one in our family. Jeremy would take it in stride, but I’d get worked up. Sure, I’d try to look cool and collected, but NED really was making me mad and sad all at the same time. He can be very selfish sometimes.

Then sometimes NED would be so great we’d just forget about him. We’d forget even that he was a part of the family. We’d get going in the busyness of life and forget how great NED actually was and how much we liked having him around. Sometimes we would get irritated with each other or we’d just plain ignore NED and yell at each other. We really wanted NED to be a reminder of how much people matter, family matters, but sometimes he’d be so quiet we’d just plain forget.

NED was always great about accompanying me to all my doctor appointments. Even after my plastic surgery and my little nip/tucks, he would remind me he was still here. The doctor would come out of surgery and say something nice about NED like “so glad to see NED in surgery.” This always made me happy.

Sometimes I would get scared I lost NED, if he left for a little while I got nervous, but he never really actually left me. After my scans or procedures, or little cancer scares, handsome NED would pop his head up over the scan machine and say “boo! you thought I was gone, didn’t you!” And I’d laugh and give NED a hug. Sometimes I’d even cry when I’d see NED. It would make me so scared when I thought he was gone.

The kids are a little confused by NED, but they really don’t fully understand why he needs to be here. Cancer was confusing to them too. It’s better this way I think. I don’t really want them to fully understand just yet. Sometimes they ask me questions like “Why do you have to have cancer mommy?” I remind them I don’t have cancer because NED came to live with us instead. It usually resolves their curiosity until the next time they see me getting in the shower or changing my clothes and I have to remind them again why NED is here.

The truth is, Jeremy and I are best friends. We’re inseparable. When I want to share something cool that happened to me during the day, I think of Jeremy. When I want someone to comfort me when I’m sad, I want Jeremy. But I’m quite fond of NED. I think NED is an important part of my life. He’s not always easy to live with, but I’d prefer his moody nature, than to live without him.

So after two years with NED, we’ve decided he can stay, and we really hope and pray he decides to stick around too.

Meet NED; an abbreviation for No Evidence of Disease. This is the term they give my cancer status.  I hope NED sticks around, how about you?
By Jen Starr-Reivitt
http://clergygirl.com/wordpress/?p=1673

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Sandy’s Story – 24 year Breast Cancer Survivor and The Pink Cart

June 14, 2010 – 12:28 PM

Tell us your story about how breast cancer has impacted your life. Send it to info@pinkcart.com – we’ll select stories to post here and send each published contributor a free 35-gallon Pink Cart.

When Pink Carts first started rolling off the presses, there were a handful of people we knew had to have one right away. They were our friends and family, survivors and caregivers. They shared their excitement and their pictures with us, happy to be involved in raising awareness and funding to fight breast cancer. Among these many supporters was Sandy, a 24-year breast cancer survivor. When we delivered her Pink Cart to her home, she offered us a cup of tea and her story.

Diagnosed in 1986, Sandy had breast cancer at a time when pink ribbons weren’t as widely recognized, and the disease and its treatment weren’t as well understood as they are today. She was 43 and had so much going on at home that her annual breast health screening and mammogram were the last things on her mind. Knowing she was under a lot of stress, Sandy’s doctor called her and strongly encouraged her to come in for her annual appointment and to get a mammogram. Sandy listened and that day her doctor discovered a tumor in her right breast.

Sandy had an invasive case of breast cancer that had metastasized to her blood vessels. At the time, chemotherapy was only prescribed for women whose lymph nodes had been affected. So even though her cancer was invasive, Sandy did not undergo chemo or radiation treatments. Instead she had a modified radical mastectomy; a procedure where the tumor, lymph nodes and tissue are removed but the muscle remains intact. With the support of her family and her church community, she fought successfully and in 1987 her cancer was in remission.

Five years cancer-free is seen as a major milestone for survivors in remission. In 2010, Sandy celebrates her 24th anniversary of life after breast cancer and is forever grateful for her doctor’s phone call all those years ago – without it, Sandy’s cancer may not have been caught in time. She’s now active in breast cancer awareness activities in her community – volunteering for fundraising walks, participating in support groups, and most recently rolling a Pink Cart to her curb every week on trash day. Sandy feels passionately about doing her part to contribute to awareness building and support resources for women and their families dealing with breast cancer, resources she didn’t have when she was fighting the disease.

Today, nonprofit organizations such as the American Cancer Society (ACS) offer services such as Hope Lodge, where cancer patients and their families are offered a free, temporary place to stay while undergoing treatment. You can find ACS support services in your community at www.cancer.org.

Many women still are not fully aware of the importance of breast health and most will not receive reminder phone calls as Sandy did. We need to do more and you can help us! Join Sandy and Tell us your story about how breast cancer has impacted your life. Write us your story and send it to info@pinkcart.com – we’ll select stories to post on the Pink Cart blog and send each published contributor a free 35-gallon Pink Cart.

Use your voice to make a statement about the need to continue to build awareness, provide resources for fighters, and to find a cure so that our wives, mothers, sisters, and friends are not lost to this disease. Share your story to build awareness of breast cancer risk factors and the importance of regular breast health screenings. Write to us today and roll a Pink Cart to your curb to show your support for the fight against breast cancer.

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