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Melinda Whipple
I had no idea that at the age of twenty-three, my life was going to change forever. I was lying in bed, had an itch on my chest, and I felt a lump. My stomach felt like it was in my throat. I went to my gynecologist a week later, who said it was probably just a cyst. My gynecologist sent me to the breast center at GBMC, and there I met with a breast surgeon. He also told me that it was probably just a cyst, but that I needed to have a biopsy. When I got the test results back, I had a sinking feeling. It was not just a cyst, and there were going to be more doctor visits and tests to do. I met with my wonderful oncologist and decided that I would go through chemotherapy, have a lumpectomy, and then radiation.
I am now twenty-five years old and cancer free. I have started my college career to become a nurse. My experience was not easy or fun, but it made me realize how important life really is. You live each day as if it were your last, because you never know when the last might be. I believe that through everything that has happened, I have become closer to many people in my life. My support group consisted of my loving boyfriend, family, friends, co-workers, and the medical team that saw me through my best and worst days. My mentor, Barb Raksin, who is also a breast cancer survivor, has been there for me the whole time. Everyone needs a mentor in his or her life. While going through treatment, I would often ask, “Why me, God? Why me?” I have since stopped asking that question, and I have taken the experience for what it is. I am glad that I have been able to meet the most amazing people through breast cancer treatment. I am blessed to be here today to share my story with many other survivors.
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