I was diagnosed 3 years ago with breast cancer. I was having pain in my breast along the sternal border. It had been going on for a couple of months and I really just thought it was an infection or something like that. There is a strong history of breast cancer in my family. My mom had it twice. A co-worker was diagnosed with breast cancer about 6 months before. I asked them if they ever had any pain and they both said no. I had had a mammogram about 6 months before the diagnosis that was clean. My doctor referred me to a surgeon for evaluation of the breast pain and he ordered a mammogram. I was shocked when it showed cancer. I had bilateral mastectomies followed by chemotherapy. I saw my oncologist last week and I remain cancer free. I want to tell my story because most of the focus is on self exams and finding lumps, but women should be aware that anything unusual, like pain in the breast, should be looked into immediately, even if there is not a strong family history of breast cancer.

Linda Kvedoras
Papillion, NE