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I’m Anita B. I’m 53 years old and a two-time breast cancer survivor. I was first diagnosed a few months after my second child was born. I discovered a lump through my own self breast exam, went to my doctor and as it turned out, it was cancerous. I was 42 at the time, in good health, no family history of breast cancer. I went through chemotherapy, then radiation, then more chemo. I was given the ‘all clear.’ Then, seven years later, I went in for my regular mammogram and the radiologist found a spot near the chest wall. He did a biopsy, discovered it was also cancerous and performed a full mastectomy on that side. That came with more rounds of chemo.
Instead of a two-time loser I think of myself as a two-time winner.
My husband was extremely supportive through the entire process. He did EVERYTHING, including taking care of our two boys. I had a really great support system in my friends, family and co-workers, too, and I’m extremely thankful for that.
My advice for people going through it is to remember that while the unknown is scary, there are so many things to be hopeful about. So many of the tough things you’ll go through will add to what you’ve lived through and make you stronger. Even during the most difficult times, I tried to look at what was happening to my body in a positive light. It was like ‘okay, so THAT’S what it looks like when I don’t have any eyebrows or eyelashes.’ I sat back, thought about it as objectively as I could and took it all in. It really put things in perspective for me and made me reexamine where my priorities were in life. And that’s something I’m very thankful for; you don’t get a wake-up call like that every day.
Instead of a two-time loser I think of myself as a two-time winner. To this day, I now schedule my mammograms and annual appointments around my birthday. It serves as my personal little reminder to do it for me.
- Anita
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