July 2019 I found a lump in my breast.  I was seen by my GYN who referred me to a surgeon and it was at this point I begin to suspect the big “C.”

  I saw the surgeon and I had ultrasounds, lab work and a breast biopsy.  I was diagnosed with aggressive Invasive ductal Carcinoma, triple-negative breast cancer; the good news was that it was caught early.   

  The plan of treatment included chemotherapy, surgery to remove the tumor and after my wound had healed, I began radiation therapy.

  My whole life was changing before my very eyes; the chemotherapy was bad, I was sick, loss my appetite, weight, and low white blood count, pain, and the list goes on. The loss of all of my hair was the final blow; another part of me was gone.  The side effects of the chemo and radiation therapy were many, and I found myself crying a lot and slipping into a deep depression.

   I am grateful and thankful to God for His grace and mercy, and for allowing me to celebrate 1 year of cancer remission. I thank my family for their love and support.

I pray that all of you will be blessed.

Anonymous

  When I was 38, I began noticing spotting after intercourse. That wasn’t normal for me, and due to a prior hysterectomy, I no longer menstruated. At first, it was just a small amount, but became more noticeable after a few weeks. Eventually, I was spotting heavily throughout the day and needed sanitary pads.

   Other than unusual bleeding, I didn’t experience any other symptoms, had no pain, and was otherwise completely healthy.

  When the doctor examined me she found a mass about the size of an egg that is causing your bleeding.” To say that shocked me is an understatement. From my previous experience, I thought I just had more dysplasia or a cyst. I never expected I would have a tumor, let alone one that large. Thankfully, it had not impacted other pelvic organs. The final diagnosis was stage 2B vaginal cancer. 

  My message to other women is this: ask your doctor about Pap and HPV tests. Screenings are important to catch any problems early, when they are more treatable. Do not let fear, embarrassment, or shame prevent you from finding the help you need. You are not alone!  

Anonymous

 For two years my doctor kept reminding me that I needed to have a screening colonoscopy. I was perfectly healthy and had no family history of colon cancer. I had many reasons to procrastinate, but basically, out of fear of the test, the prep, and a few dozen lame excuses, I chose to ignore my doctor. It wasn’t until my husband dared me in front of my doctor that I agreed to the test.

  To make a long story short, at the age of 52, I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. My fear of colonoscopies was nothing compared to my fear of dying from colorectal cancer!

  I was fortunate. My cancer was in the early stages, and surgery offered me a cure.    The prep for the colonoscopy was honestly not that bad. The colonoscopy was accompanied by sedation that made me wonder, “Is that all there is to it?”

The moral of my story is if I had waited until I had symptoms, it would have been too late.  

Anonymous

June 2011, I came home from tennis coughing and clearing his throat. I also had sores in my mouth, so I decided to go to his doctor.   “When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ your world changes in an instant,”

   The test showed that I had advanced stage of cancer; stage IV, and the surgery would require breaking my jaw bone and taking out a lot of tissue, permanently changing my appearance and ability to swallow and eat.   I decided to have chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  By the end of the treatment, I could no longer swallow and had to use a feeding tube. But the tumor had shrunk to the point that doctors could no longer detect cancer.

  December of 2015, I found a sore on my tongue that wouldn’t go away, even with steroid treatment. A biopsy was performed and another tumor was found I was scheduled for surgery and not a good candidate for more radiation, due to the high doses I received four years ago.

  He recommends that people who are diagnosed with a head or neck cancer should listen to their doctors very closely.

“I still have a high risk of the cancer coming back, but I’m still going to live my life,”

Anonymous