DuluthCommunityNews

I am 53 years old now, and have three children. I lost my son. My daughters are grown and have children of their own.

In August of 2000 I found a small lump under my left breast, right under wire of your bra would go.

I went to my doctor, and he said, “Now tell me where you think you have a lump.� He couldn’t find it until I showed him.

I also have a mammogram every year, but I just don't think they aimed it low enough to pick it up.

After Dr. Grohs, the office surgeon, checked me out, he was almost sure it was nothing to worry about.

“But we don't leave lumps in women,� he said.

I went for another mammogram, and this time the lump could be seen.

I thought I was going for a simple lumpectomy. It turned out to be cancer and it had already spread to 3 of lymph nodes.

My left breast was removed. We had talked about “what if� before I had the surgery.

My husband Tim told me that it was cancer when I woke up and the doctor removed my breast. I had to heal and have my stitches out before Dr. Grohs would release me to Dr. Sande, my Oncologist, at the Duluth Clinic.

A wonderful doctor.

I went through 6 months of intense chemo, lost all my hair, eyebrows, lashes, etc.

I didn't mind it. I didn't get sick from my chemo, but I was feeling numbness in two fingers and thumb on both hands plus my feet, so they cut my chemo down to one-hour drips, once a week. I was doing three-to-four-hour drips every three weeks.

I owe my life to my surgeon and my oncologist. I'm here today because of them.

Thanks to my wonderful Husband Tim, my girls, my grand kids, my family, friends, and my church.

If it wasn't for the fact that I have a scare to remind me of what I have been through, I wouldn't think twice about having had breast cancer.

You see, I run my Cancer's life, it doesn't run mine!

A lot of illnesses out there are untreatable. I was lucky enough to have a cancer that they know how to treat. I lost a breast, so what? It's just skin.

I can remember as a young girl if you heard the "C" word (cancer), it was all over for you and you were going to die.

I view things differently now. I believe once you have cancer, you always have cancer.

Maybe someday I'll get it back. I'll deal with that if and when the time comes.

I'd like to help if I can help anyone going through the nightmare of their life. If they can open their eyes, things will look a little brighter.

I have met a lot of wonderful women through my breast cancer in our Dragon Boat Team since 2002.

I have 21 plus sisters, and we get together several times through the year after the races.

In our team of breast cancer, women support each other, and we don't dwell on the fact that we all share the same disease.

We've fought the fight and won.

We're SURVIVORS, and we are moving ahead in life with courage, hope, and lots of LOVE to share.