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I am 51, a single mother, active and strong. There is no history of cancer in my family. I have a mammogram yearly and trust the results.
In 1999 I had a burning sensation in my breast and found a lump. Since the mammogram had not shown anything, I got an ultrasound and had the lump removed. It was malignant.
One of the most important lessons that I learned was that you have to let the people around you be involved with what you are going through. The support I received was amazing. People would call and say "Do you mind if I talk to you about this? I am a survivor and thought you might need someone to just talk to." It is heartwarming and truly amazing to know how many people's lives you affect and don't even realize it.
I signed up for a study program for 5 years. I went to one support meeting for ideas on makeup, wigs, scarves and how to still feel like a lady even when you feel you may look like Yul Brynner! After one support group meeting, I decided to change my way of thinking. I went to the costume store and bought 4 wigs. I wore them to work with a sense of humor. When I walked into work with my curly brown wig on, my coworkers kidded me. I said, "Would you rather have Yul Brynner today?" We all laughed and learned that day. It is amazing to know that although I was the only one with cancer in the group, that we all became survivors.
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