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Updated September 17, 2011 -- It's amazing how life works and how the littlest things can make a person stop and think about 'life.' I recently had a
chance to reconnect with an old friend and we talked for hours, picking up where we left off over 25 years ago. When we were
filling each other in on our 'lives' since we last saw each other, I realized he had no idea about my journey. It was somewhat
matter of fact for me ... not because I didn't care, but because I hadn't really talked about it for quite some time. I mentioned
my site and he asked for the website address ... I let it go, not wanting to bother him with it ... but when I talked to him
one last time before leaving he reminded me to send him the link. Here's where I was surprised: He called me a week later
and not only had he read every page and every entry, he asked me a lot of questions, he wanted to know why I hadn't updated
certain posts, why I hadn't had my ovaries removed, etc. Wow, I had really fallen down on my mission. I was all about paying
it forward and sharing my personal journey in hopes that I may be able to help just one person by sharing my story.
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September 2005 ... I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I didn't say it had to make sense...
but there was a higher power that chose me to help educate people on the importance of mammograms.
Needless to say,
no one expects that the "C" word will happen to them.... but when I found out I had breast cancer I really did look at it
as an opportunity for me to help others. And, to help others realize that just because Ductal Carcinoma In Situ is a
cancer, it's a good cancer to have. (I know that doesn't make sense.... but it will.)
I'm 39 years old and have been married to a great guy, Jeff, for nine years and have two beautiful daughters, Shelby,
7, and Sydney, 4 (soon to be 5). I live in Frisco, Texas and for the last 21 years have had a career I love.
And did I mention that I define the word "Type A Personality!". Needless to say, finding out I had cancer wasn't something
I had planned ... I work well under pressure and thrive on change.... but this is pushing it and not what I had
in mind. I guess because my life was going well, both personally and professionally, someone up above decided I
could use a bigger challenge in my life! (Remind me to mention to my boss that I should really add this as one of my
'05-'06 objectives!)
My 'journey' started the last week of September. So far, the hardest part emotionally for me was waiting for the
biopsy results. I was expecting that everything would come back normal, but deep down inside I had a weird feeling.
I didn't share this feeling with anyone because I wanted to remain strong. Besides, the odds were in my favor.
I spent the weekend educating myself on breast cancer. If it came back as cancer I wanted to fully understand what was
happening to my body and be able to have an intelligent conversation with the doctor. Although there was a lot of great
information out there, I didn't find exactly what I wanted. When I was pregnant I read a great book, Your Pregnancy
Week By Week, and this is the type of book I wanted for breast cancer. Not just for me, but to help me explain
everything to my friends and family. So, I decided to keep a journal that I could pass along to friends or family if
they ever go through this. And then this weekend I decided to put this in a web format so others can hopefully find
inspiration in my experience. A friend of mine, Mollie, shared a web site with me that one of her friends has done to
keep friends and family informed. Her friend is my age, a mom to two small children, and is also battling breast cancer.
I really look forward to meeting her the next time I'm in Minneapolis.
So, I hope my story and the information I am sharing will help someone get through this difficult time with a more positive
attitude. It's scary, and I'm the first to admit it, but it's all about attitude! If you have a positive attitude,
couple that with the amazing support from your family and friends, and you have the ingredients for success.
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