When I was a little girl, we'd go to north Texas to visit our grandparents. Big Daddy and Big Mama shared their home with Grannie Dearmore, Big Mama's mother. I noticed that both Grannie and Big Mama had only one breast, so in my infinite 4-year-old wisdom I believed that at a certain age one of them fell off!
I shortly learned the truth, but wasn't prepared for the devastation that breast cancer would continue to bring my family. At age 36, my sister and only sibling had bilateral mastectomy--losing both breasts to cancer. My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, and died at age 74.
I have had genetic testing, which shows that I don't have a gene mutation.
However, breast cancer is definitely an ugly reality in our family. So, for the sake of my daughter and granddaughter, I work diligently with all available groups to develop prevention methods, increase early detection, and find better, quicker and less invasive treatments.
My biggest dream is to stomp out breast cancer in my lifetime!
Crescent, OK