I will never forget Halloween 2005. I was at work and the phone rang. It was the doctor's office asking to see me - preferably now. Since I had been going through mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, etc. I asked if they found cancer and the answer was yes.
Having just lost my younger sister to cancer in August, it was a nightmare to call my other two sisters and niece and tell them. We hadn't even had time to mourn Tona and now I was starting my own journey. Two hours later my sisters, niece and I were sitting with a surgeon. It is so strange - I went to work healthy and now I am deciding my options.
Having gone through my sister's journey of chemo for six years I didn't want chemo - I had to work to support myself and couldn't be sick. So I agreed to a lumpectomy (which they had to do twice and then I had an infection), radiation and Herceptin.
It will be four years on Halloween and during this time I have had one scare and had a lump removed that was not cancer. Other than that it is actually hard to remember all the tests, treatments or even that I had cancer.
A friend and breast cancer survivor told me when diagnosed "Your life as you knew it will never be the same." She was right - I try and enjoy each day to the fullest and love my family and friends more and more. Life is precious!
Appleton, WI