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Personal
The stories, poems , songs and Jokes contained in the following pages are for us to share, it submitted by my visitors. If you have some things to share with us, please send it to me via E-mail. So others might benefit from it.

Survivor's Stories
The wisdom, courage, and experiences of these survivors are invaluable for all of us, and we thank them for sharing and giving all of us hope for the future.

FriendsInTouchCareTeam/membersjournal.msnw

cancersurvivor.com/stories/

Breast Cancer Survivors Stories

Cancerfacts

IBC Warriors' Site

Cancersurvivors.org

A Life Changing Experience

I am going to talk today about a life changing experience that has totally changed my life around:

For those of you who do not know, I think it is important for you to know that I am only 24 years old.

In November 2001 I went to my doctor whom I also work with, with concerns regarding blood discharge from my right breast.
He sent me to a general surgeon for diagnosis of the discharge.
He stated to me that it was probably just a clogged duct in my right breast.

When I seen the surgeon; he did tell me that I had a 10 percent chance of it being breast cancer, but it was 90 percent that it was just a clogged duct, and due to the fact that I have no family history of breast cancer and my age he highly doubted that it was breast cancer.
So he did a breast biopsy by removing 4 of my ducts in my breast on December 18th, 2001.

The doctor phoned me at work on December 27th , 2001 to let me know that he had bad news. That they had found out that I had a type of breast cancer called Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. He would like to see me the next day to discuss my options. The following day my husband Jason, my mom and myself went to his office. We all decided together that due to my age and my high risk of recurrence that it would be in my best interest to have a bilateral mastectomy - For those of you who do not know what that is it is the removal of both breasts. I decided that at that time also, I would want to have immediate reconstruction surgery.

During this time I was very angry and confused and could not understand why God had allowed this to happen to me.
I felt like he had abandoned me. And I felt like my life was over. And nothing would ever be the same again. I felt very lost.
I had to go home and try to explain to my 4 year old daughter and my 2 step daughters , that I had breast cancer.
It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life. Telling my husband was one thing; but to have to try and explain it to your child is so devastating.

To see the look in their eyes was so heartbreaking, they thought they would never see me again.
Because of all my feelings that I felt inside, the overwhelming anger and fear and sadness . I wanted to fight. And I wasn't going to just sit their and let it eat at me, I was going to fight back and I knew I would survive.

I took an early leave of absence from work, to get my life in order before surgery. And in the back of my head I always had this overwhelming feeling that I wasn't going to make it through the surgery.
I felt like that was going to be my last day here on earth.
Days before my surgery I prepared everything around the house to make sure my husband Jason would not have anything to worry about. And that Jocelynn was cared for, for a few weeks until Jason was able to care for her again.

I went in for my bilateral mastectomy on February 15th, 2002. That was the first time that God had wrapped his arms around me to let me know everything was okay since I had been diagnosed with my breast cancer. Prior to that day I had such anger towards God for letting this happen to me that I blocked him out of my life. My family members and close friends were there moments before I went into surgery to pray over me. And I just felt this sensation of love and protection from God over me. As they wheeled me into the operating room I was crying hysterically, praying out loud to God to please protect me and be with the surgeons and work through them as they perform my surgery. And I prayed that over and over again until one of the nurses asked me if I was alright? And I said - Yes, I am just scared , I am just praying that God will be with me. He then replied to me; that I had nothing to worry about - that him and the doctors were going to say a special prayer for me before performing the surgery. And that is the last thing I remember before being put to sleep.

Just those words from the nurse, I knew that was God speaking to me through him. Letting me know that everything would be alright. And that , yes I would grow old enough to see my girls grow up. And one day be a grandma.

When I woke up from surgery I was a little shocked to see that I was still alive. Even though I knew that God was their with his arms wrapped around me I still had doubted him.
The following few months while I was in re-cooperation from the surgery I was falling further and further away from God. I had fallen into a deep depression, and I didn't want to associate with anybody. Because of the depression, I had decided to not return to work until July 2002. There were daily spouts of uncontrollable crying because of the weight I felt on my heart, it was so heavy and I felt like their was nothing I could do to control that. I had also decided because I felt betrayed by the doctor's taking away a part of my body, that I was going to leave the medical field, and find a new career in a different field.

As of last week-end my life has changed completely. On Friday night my mom and I attended the women's of faith conference. I didn't feel any significant change at the end of the night, but when I returned home my husband noticed a change right away. He asked me "what did they say to you?" There's something different about you. I just don't what it is. But I like it. I told him I didn't know because I didn't feel a significant change at that point.
On Saturday we returned to the conference, all the speakers touched my heart spiritually in a different way, but one in particular. It was Nicole Johnson's skit she performed on surviving breast cancer. Everything she said touched my heart so deeply, because everything she said had once come from my heart. In the month's that I was recuperating I had completely given up on God and my faith. And lost my spirit. I had stopped fighting for my life and had given up, and that's what that weight I was feeling in my heart was. It was God's sadness that I had given up. And she made me realize that. Her last few words were.
I will survive.
I will get through this.
I will go on with my life. I will not give in to this cancer.
And as she spoke those words I made a promise to myself, those very words.

As I left that day I felt the weight come off my heart and God wrapped his arms around me letting me know that he was their all along and I just need to trust in him.
I went home that day with such a sensation of love and happiness and joy from God. That I had come back to him.
The following morning I was getting ready for church and even though the weight had lifted off of my chest I still had a lot of anger built up inside of me for everything that had happened to me since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was praying to God that morning and I was angry. I was confused at why still all this had happened to me. And I wanted answers.
Traver spoke that morning about anger. And it was like God was answering my prayer that I had prayed that morning through Traver. I went home that day and realized that it wasn't God I was angry at, it was myself.

That afternoon I decided with God that my life would be different from this moment on.
God spoke to me and told me it was time to get my act together. I needed to return to work next week and start helping people in the medical field again. And that he would always be with me no matter how angry I get at him, and that he knows what is best for me.

Now that I had to go through this I want to be a support for those who may have the struggle with denial or separation from God.

Reese, Sharon
Sharon.Reese@vanir.com

These Pictures send by Joe-Lin.

 

I get this poem from my Breast Cancer Support Group Meeting.

MIRROR
The good you find in others is in you too.
The faults you find in others are your faults as well.
After all, to recognize something you must know it.
The possibilities you see in others are possible for you as well.
The beauty you see around you is your beauty.
The world around you is a reflection,
a mirror showing you the person you are.
To change your world, you must change yourself.
To blame and complain will only make matters worse.
Whatever you care about is your responsibility.
What you see in others shows you yourself.
See the best in others and you will be your best.
Give to others and you give to yourself.
Appreciate beauty and you will be beautiful.
Admire creativity and you will be creative.
Love and you will be loved.
Seek to understand and you will be understood.
Listen and your voice will be heard.
Teach and you will learn.
Show your best face to the mirror,
and you'll be happy with the face
looking back at you.

This poem is from Balya Retreat.

THE GOOSE STORY
Next Autumn, when you see Geese
Heading South for the winter flying along in V formation
You might consider what we have discovered
As to Why they fly that Way.
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift
for the bird immediately following.
By flying in V formation
the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range,
than if each bird flew on its own.
PEOPLE WHO SHARE A COMMON DIRECTION
AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY
CAN GET WHERE THEY ARE GOING MORE QUICKLY AND EASILY
BECAUSE
THEY ARE TRAVELLING ON THE THRUST OF ONE ANOTHER.
When a goose falls out of formation
it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying
to go it alone and quickly gets
back into formation to take advantage
of the lifting power of the bird in front.
IF WE HAVE AS MUCH SENSE AS A GOOSE
WE WILL STAY IN FORMATION WITH THOSE
WHO ARE HEADED THE SAME WAY AS WE ARE.
When the goose gets tired
it rotates back in the
wings and another goose flies point.
IT IS SENSIBLE TO TAKE TURNS DOING DEMANDING JOBS
WITH PEOPLE OR WITH GEESE FLYING SOUTH.
Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front
to keep up their speed.
WHAT DO WE SAY WHEN WE HONK FROM BEHIND?
Finally, and this is important, when a goose gets sick, or is
wounded by gunshots and falls out of formation, two other
Geese fall out with that Goose and
follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with
the fallen Goose until it is able to fly or until it dies and
only then do they launch out on their own or with
formation to catch up with their group.
IF WE HAVE THE SENSE OF A GOOSE
WE WILL STAND BY EACH OTHER LIKE THAT.

Send by FLORENCE

Hello sunflower and I want to share with you some of the nutrition plans that
I am undertaking. And, also my daughter is a graduate of the Pacific College
of Oriental Medicine for Acupuncture and Massage and she gives me acupuncture
treatments.

These are the ones that I am now taking
INDOLE-3-CARBINOL 4 bottles of 200mg 60 capsules
http://www.lef.org/prod_desc/item00456.html

Alternative Cancer Therapy Information
from Cancer Cure Foundation -
http://www.cancure.org/

I am also considering taking

"http://www.md-phc.com/nutrition/calcium_d.htm" Calcium D


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