Breast Cancer Awareness: Sharing My Story

Breast Cancer, knocked on my mothers door 4 years ago. I can remember getting the call from my mother to tell me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I am glad I was standing near the bed for it was what broke my fall. I physically fell and so did my heart and spirit. My mind began to race as the tears flooded my eyes.

My Mom said. ” LaVida don’t worry I will be fine, baby please stop crying”. Finally, I said “Mom let me call you back.” I cried even harder and screamed God NO! My husband held me as I cried and he reminded me God does not put more on us than we can bare. I fell to my knees and began to pray. I picked up the phone and called my mother back. My Aunts and Uncles and my brother were at the house with her, given her the support she needed at this time. As she and I talked, I told her I will be there with you through it all. She said that the her Doctor wanted to talk to me aswell about what was going on with her and also for me to get checked out.

My Mom had a partial masectomy done. My Aunt and I were at the hospital from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Man was that a day that time seemed to have stood still or at least was ticking by so slow. She made it through the surgery fine and we were finally able to take her home. She slept most of the night, but I didn’t, for I walked to her bedroom door several times just to peek in at her and watching her sleep. I remember kneeling down at her bedside and praying over her. Asking God to heal her body and to keep us all strong through this.

After a week or so went by, It was time for me to go home. As a busy professional, I had to get back to my job. I left my Mom, but my heart and mind was with her and my body came home.

She began her chemotherapy and radiation. I recall her saying,’I know my hair is going to start to come out. But, before that starts to happen, I am going to just cut it all off.’ My mom had shoulder length hair, and she was willing to cut it off. Weeks went by and she began to get sick from the chemo and radiation. She ended up in the hospital with congested heart failure. Here I go again crying like a baby. I began to pray harder than ever before. God, my Mom is a fighter give her the strength to endure this, give us, the family strength to be strong for her.

After several more trips to the hospital, her body started to weaken. But amazingly her faith in God did not. There were times she would say she was tired, but would also would say I am not giving up though. I watched my Mom fight this, which gave me the strength to endure.

My mom is a 4 year survivor of Breast Cancer. If it had not been for the monthly self examinations and yearly mammograms; that knock on my Mom’s door from this deadly disease could have been a trajedy.

I challenge every woman to do self examines monthly. Get your yearly mammogram. If you can not afford to get one, call your local Breast Cancer society (Susan G Komen) and find out where you can get a free or reduced price.

We all can make a difference by donating money and/or our time. The main thing is to get involved. Be a volunteer, an activist or a walker/runner in a local race. But however you choose to get involved, just know that everything you do makes a difference. After all, without the support of people like you, we know 10 million people could die of breast cancer in the next 25 years. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® strives to raise funds and educate people in the battle against breast cancer through global events and legislative actions each year. Breast cancer is still killing and impacting far too many of our loved ones. So, how will you get involved?