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My name is Judy. I have been working at Jay C Stores for the past 16 years. And I am a breast cancer survivor.
I was born and raised in Dubois County, Indiana, have two wonderful children, and currently live near Shoals with my husband of 39 years. They first discovered my breast cancer during an annual mammogram at the hospital in May 2008. My family and friends were all very concerned and feared the worst might happen. I was shocked and very fearful too. They checked on me often, some daily, offering their assistance and prayers, which were and are a real comfort to me. I am blessed to have had my husband and children at my side through all five surgeries and during recovery.
Don't forget your annual checkup. It can save lives!
Through all of this, my family, friends and even customers at the Jay C Store where I work have shown an incredible amount of love and genuine concern for me. The support of my family, friends, and co-workers has been amazing and really uplifting to me. My way of dealing with the news and treatment was to talk with people, and this group gave me lots of support by listening.
As a result of my journey, my outlook on life is changing. There are so many small things that just do not matter anymore. I must say that I have a newfound respect for every profession that deals with the care of cancer patients on a physical, mental and spiritual level. Thankfully, I’ve seen how my circumstances have enabled me to reach out to others and encourage them to become concerned about their own health. I try to stay active in supporting local awareness activities, such as the Relay for Life. And recently, a co-worker of mine started her own "journey" with breast cancer, and I feel lucky that I can understand her situation and support her during this devastating time in her life.
I want other women to know that they need to be diligent in getting a yearly exam, whether they think they need one or not. A routine mammogram caught my cancer early— If I had waited a year it would have been too late to treat this type of very aggressive cancer. Please, don’t put it off!
- Judy
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