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My name is Valerie. I have worked for QFC for 19 years. And I am a 12-year breast cancer survivor.
I was 35 years old, it was Labor Day Weekend and I was in the bathroom in front of a full-length mirror when I saw a knot on the side of my breast. I thought, "I need to get this checked." I had a biopsy and it came back positive for cancer. I went through two surgeries and they felt that none of the lymph nodes were affected. After the surgeries, I had 7 weeks of radiation and have been clean ever since. At the time, we had no real family history other than a great aunt on my father's side. The doctors said that it shouldn't be hereditary. But subsequently, both of my sisters were diagnosed. My sisters' cancers and mine were hormone-based cancers. Thankfully, they’ve both made their 5-year anniversary and I have made the 13-year mark cancer free.
Do your monthly self-exams and treat yourself to a yearly mammogram, because you are worth it!
My family was so incredibly supportive during my treatment and my co-workers were the best – they made sure I knew they were behind me and scheduled my work shifts around my daily treatments.
I'd also have to say that having something to focus on, something besides the treatment, helped me tremendously. I rolled up my sleeves and re-did the doors in my house. All the stripping and staining and little detail kept me busy and took my mind off the situation. It was a true wake-up call. It also motivated me to quit smoking, which should help me out when I do the 3-day walk with my sisters!
I was grateful for all of the reminders my doctor had given me over the years about breast self-exams and that we caught it early enough. When I was going through it, there was a young gal (a customer) who was younger than me and she didn’t make it. I guess it was the type of cancer she had and how aggressive it was. Her family still shops at my store and I wonder sometimes why I made it and she didn't. Sometimes it's hard to make sense of it all. But, what I now understand clearly is that life can be very short. You have to take care of yourself. Nobody’s going to do it for you. You are responsible for your own health.
My experience brought awareness to all of the women in my family to get checked and be aware of their bodies. I still worry about my daughter – she is 25. And now, I have a granddaughter that I will be worried about. The good news is that we’re discovering breast cancer earlier and we have some really excellent treatment options out there. If you get diagnosed, know that you can beat it. There is always hope.
- Valerie
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