Danielle Jackson

Survivor

Giving Up Was Never An Option.

At 30 years of age, a newly wed and a recent Master’s Of Social Work graduate, I was in a U-Haul on my way to a new city and a new job. My husband suddenly said, “Your appointment! “ oh yes, I had an appointment at the Fresno Women’s Breast Center. I told my husband, “Oh I will just cancel. I can make an appointment when I get to Reno.” My husband insisted we stop and get an examination. What I thought would be a quick exam resulted in the worse news. The ultrasound revealed calcifications that appeared Cancerous. The radiologist was pretty sure it was cancer. I just knew he was making a mistake. He asked if there was any way I could remain in the area for at least a night. I said yes. The next day I was standing in El Pollo Loco when I received the call that would absolutely change my life. I picked up the phone and the words of the radiologist was; “Hi Danielle. Are you alone? Are you sitting down? Upon my response all I heard was, “I’m so sorry. Your biopsy was positive for breast cancer. You are going to be in for the fight of your life. Can you come to the office tomorrow?” I couldn’t believe what I heard. I had just received my Master’s Degree two days before. I had a great new job. I was moving to a new city and I was married to the man of my dreams. We were making plans to immediately start a family now that I had graduated. This just couldn’t be happening to me. Somehow the doctor had to have made a mistake. Maybe he mixed my biopsy results up with someone else’s. There was no other explanation because there was NO WAY I had breast cancer! I Well needless to say I did and I went through an immense amount of cancer treatment. I had never been so sick in my life. I had never thrown up so much in my life. Just when I thought I wouldn’t make it, God said different. I knew giving up wasn’t an option! I had a husband who loved me and I wasn’t prepared to make him a widow. I fought and prayed fervently. I never gave up. I survived! I try to walk every year to show newly diagnosed individuals they can win their fight! Cancer doesn’t have to be the end result!