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Elizabeth Hammond
I am a wife, a homeschooling mom, a self-employed CPA, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. Life for me is busy and full and wonderful. When I scheduled my mammogram for the day before my 49th birthday in the Fall of 2010, it was part of my regular schedule. I get a mammogram every year for my birthday, but that visit was anything but routine. I was informed that I should follow up with a biopsy which led to my breast cancer diagnosis. My cancer didn’t want to make itself known. It wasn’t a lump. It couldn’t be easily seen by the high tech equipment. It was stealth cancer. As I received that news, my first reaction was to call my brothers, who are both breast cancer surgeons in Tampa. I couldn’t believe that my body was under attack and I was confident that they would reassure me. The unfortunate reality was that I was Stage 2b and needed chemotherapy and more surgery. I really never wanted to know up close and personal what my brothers did in their profession, but I am convinced that the research and treatments they have worked on and the progress they have made were for my direct benefit. I am amazed at the complexity of this disease and incredibly grateful for the advances that have been made toward curing it. They referred me to Dr. Schnaper and the Breast Center at GBMC. I have met warm, caring, and generous friends there, who have been incredibly supportive through this difficult trial.
I am in the middle of this battle. As I write this, I have finished my first chemo treatment and by the date of this event, I will have finished four TC chemotherapy treatments. I will move on to the next battlefront for another phase of treatment and I will continue to fight tenaciously until I win this war. I can’t change the diagnosis, but I can control how I face it. It will not take away my enduring spirit. It might have taken away my red hair temporarily, but not the feisty temperament that goes with it. My mother always told me I could do anything that I wanted to if I wanted it bad enough. Winning is everything when you’re fighting cancer!
My husband, Mike, and our six children, Ryan, Justin, Rachel, Nathan, Kevin and Colin, provide tremendous strength and motivation to me, but our friends, our church and our community have overwhelmed us with care and support. I choose to be positive, and the hope and faith that I have are able to keep me going every day. Love and laughter are very good medicine. I am energized by the thought that God will use me in the lives of others to give them hope and confidence to face life’s challenges, whether it’s breast cancer or another bump in the road. This is not a war to wage on your own. This is a series of daily battles that have to be won one at a time. The support that is being raised by Steps to the Cure is the kind of support that gives cancer survivors the safety net to carry them when the days are rough. Thank you so much for supporting this event and caring for the families affected by this disease.
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