Debra Love

Survivor

I guess if someone has to be lucky to have breast cancer I was. I had stage 1 breast cancer that was treated with a lumpectomy and 34 radiations with a 5-10 year treatment of Armindex. I have gone for my yearly almost every year and IF I didn’t have insurance I found Susan G Komen and they provided me was several in my life time. Last May 2015 I was having a routine exam and it lasted longer than normal. I knew that day I had cancer. They didn’t have to tell me, I just knew. Cancer is in my family history and breast cancer is one of the cancers. The next few weeks were more ultrasounds, biopsies which was worse then anything I would experience including the truth that I had cancer and the surgery. On July 13 I had a lumpectomy and 4 lymph nods removed. Stage 1 and NO cancer in my lymph nods. I started radiation about a month later and my last radiation was 10/9/2015. I never let cancer get to me. Watching my Aunt and my sister and my grandmother and my mother go through their cancers for various cancers they never let cancer get to them and I was not going to let cancer win. About 2 week before the last radiation under my breast and arm was pretty raw and burned so I took a week off. But I walked out of the last day at Florida Cancer Specialists knowing I had the best support system with them in Clearwater and I had my family and friends. For me, because of my family history, I knew I needed to stay on top of the chance of developing cancer and hopefully I will never get it again. I am grateful for all the warriors before me, with me, and the ones that come after me in their fight against cancer.