Let them know you care by sending a message of hope to a friend or family member.

Check out
the wall »

In January of 2006 I discovered a lump on my right breast while I was taking a shower. I didn’t think much about it, but then realized it was still there the next day. I spent the week worrying about it and then made a doctor’s appointment. When the doctor felt it he thought it was nothing to worry about but asked me to get an ultrasound done.
 
I went to the hospital the next morning and they told me to go straight to my doctor’s office. When I got there they said they had seen two lumps. I have a history of breast cancer in my family. My mother and two of my aunts have had breast cancer. Based on my family history they suggested I go with a mastectomy instead of a lumpectomy. At the same time my father was battling cancer. The doctors thought that if I didn’t have a mastectomy I’d be back in the hospital in 4-5 years battling breast cancer all over again.
 
They didn’t see anything on the left breast other than some cloudiness, but they thought it might also develop there. I decided to have a double mastectomy in February, and I started chemotherapy the same week my father passed away. It was a really rough time. I went through 4 months of chemo and didn’t have to do radiation since I had the double mastectomy. I lost all my hair—I had real long hair down to my waist but I got it cut so I could get used to it. My sisters came with me to pick out a wig since we knew in the next few weeks I would need one. My doctor estimated that I would lose my hair the weekend of my stepson’s graduation so I went the week before to have my head shaved. I wanted to just wear the wig and not wake up at the hotel all traumatized that my hair fell out.
 
My last chemo treatment was at the end of July, and in August I went in for a checkup and got a clean bill of health. So far we’re continuing down that same path. I go in every six months to see the oncologist and my white cell count is good.
 
You just have to have a lot of faith to start with, and that is the biggest thing. You can’t let it get you down. Knowing that my mother survived breast cancer twenty years earlier and my aunts pulled through really helped. They all had different stages of cancer but they are all still alive and kicking. I had a really great team of doctors and put my faith in them and really got to know what they were talking about. I did a lot of research on the Internet when I chose to do the double mastectomy. There’s just no comparing losing a physical part of me to not being around in five years.
 
My husband said, “Yes, you are losing your breasts but you are still here and that’s what is important.” I had reconstructive surgery so other than myself and my family, it’s not like anyone can tell the difference. My family and friends were so supportive. I had seen my dad battle colon cancer for four years. To see everything was a real inspiration even though we ended up losing him.
 
I’d like to dedicate this to my mom and my dad. When you’re going through it every day it hurts and it’s hard to get up in the morning, but laying in bed feeling sorry for yourself won’t help. Both my parents were a big inspiration to me, seeing how strong my mom was every day going through the chemo and that it’s now been 22 years since she had it.
 
- Angela