I am a 37 year old mother of two and a self-employed, licensed massage therapist. I was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in December of 2009. The diagnosis was a complete shock since I was always diligent about all of my doctors' visits. Without any family history and risk factors I did not need to get mammograms for a few more years. So when I found a lump it caught me completely by surprise. The diagnoses that followed was devastating. After a few days of digesting the information I had to make a decision to stay strong for my family and believe that we have come a long way with cancer treatments and that I will beat it. The year that followed was a challenging one with surgeries, radiation therapy, more radiation and more surgery. I have received an excellent care and all my doctors were very hopeful. I experienced first hand the amazing strides that our medical community has made over the years and continues to make with regard to cancer research. Thanks to that I am doing well and looking forward to the rest of my life with my husband and children.
