Grateful! -Celebrating My 3 Year Anniversary as a Survivor

Dear Stage III Sisters,



Three years ago this week I heard the three fateful words that would forever change my life. The radiologist at the breast health center performed a sterotactic biopsy and then phoned me to say, "...you have cancer..." He assured me that he was certain it was "only" in the very earliest of stages, stage 0 to 1, caught early, and on and on. The very same day my primary care physican insisted on a breast MRI which led me to the cancer center at a major university medical center near me.



Fast forward to Stage 3...bilateral mastectomies, 4 positive nodes out of 16 removed, 29 weekly chemotherapy treatments, and 30-some radiation treatments. Then on to Femara.



Here I am, 3 years later, scarred, battered, limping and nearly broke, BUT VERY MUCH ALIVE! I thank God everyday for mercifully allowing me to live to see my only son celebrate his 18th birthday. I treasure every holiday, anniversary, sunrise, and simple pleasure of my life.



I will never forget that shocking, smothering, sickening feeling inside when I was shown a dismal chart of survival statistics and told by my oncologist that I was Stage 3. Since that day I have experienced just about every known side effect of chemo, significant neuropathy, internal radiation scarring, painful joints and awful hot flashes from Femara, not to memtion the loss of both my breasts and mild lymphedema. However, I am overwhelmingly thankful for each medical professional that has dedicated his or her life to treating this dreadful disease.



Lastly, I owe a debt of gratitude to the brave, wise, loving women on BreastCancer.org without whom I would have fought alone and isolated. We understand Breast Cancer and all its ugliness as only fellow sisters in the fight can. We also appreciate the beauty that can come from suffering and living each day as grateful survivors.



Early on in my journey many times I would come to the Stage III Topics and read and re-read, and re-read stories of survival and hope from other Stage 3 survivors with positive nodes. I would have lost all hope many times had it not been for these accounts. Thank you for sharing them! I still come to read the stories of hope, just not as often. I truly know that we have no guarentee of a future without recurrence but I take great encouragement from other Stage 3 survivors who are farther along on the journey and still cancer free.



Psalm 31:14 "I will say, You are my God, my future is in your hands..."

Grateful Charlotte