CASE #1327

At a young age my MOM asked me if I would have liked a younger brother, I said Yes, she told me about a younger brother who had died at 2 days old. Then I know just to share she mentioned how while she was carrying him in her belly, she was up with me walking in the house one night when I was 2 years old and I kicked her belly and was she sore, and another time while still carrying him and walking holding me she fell on a hill in the neighborhood and was also sore. I know she never ment to make me feel guilt or blame for his death but boy I did, even at that young age of I estimate 6 - 10 years old. Never would I tell her, how I felt, she died in my home some years back the day after Thanksgiving and I never mentioned it to her. the next July I decided to honor my brother and mother by placing a large butterfly balloon at his grave with a sunflower on the day of his birth. Two days later on the day he died I went back to his popper grave marked only with a number and released the balloon. The scare of that pain I had is still they but I have grown. As a result I will always remember my baby brother Joseph, the brother I know I liked. I would have liked to make my story into a book to help people suffering loss, thanks for the possibility of makeing it kinda a reality in a book, Yours truely, Leo G. 01/20/59, my divorce after 28 years did not leave the same type of scar. Thank You

CASE #1326

Newly married, new baby, 1986, new lump, age 31. The words were hard to hear, have surgery to remove my left breast. I had a baby, I wanted to see her grow up. Would I see that?

Happy Birthday to me, my 32nd birthday, my left breast was removed. Three months later the right breast was removed. Twenty-four years later I am cancer free and I have never regretted what happened to me. I saw my daughter graduate from college and become a nurse. My son was born in 1990. Cancer did not rule my life. Everytime I look in the mirror I think back to 1986 and I say I am a beautiful woman!

CASE #1325

On August 10th,2009 , about 4 days after I found out I was 3 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Never did I think I would be diagnosed at the age of 23. But it happened. After being told by 4 drs to terminate my pregnancy, I decided to leave it in gods hands and said if he wants this child to be here he will let it happen. I just had a misscarraige in Oct. 2008, so I figured god sent this baby for a reason.

On October 8th I had my bilateral masectomy with removal of my lymphnodes on the right side only. We found out it was a stage 2 and it had not spread. But for better results I had to start my chemo. I started the first week of November 2009, I go into the hospital for 4-5 days and get my chemotherapy so they can monitor the baby. I am currently on my 4th treatment and am due to have a healthy baby on April 6th, 2010.

I think my story and scars will help get out an important message to young people all over, that being diagnosed while pregnant does not only happen to woman in their late 30s mid 40s. It can happen in your 20s also. I think I had more of that chance because my mother was also diagnosed with breast cancer in her late 20s but was a stage 3b I believe. But regaurdless of passed history or not. It is something that should not be taken lightly as I did. I was told to do a preventative masectomy at te age of 19, and look where waiting got me. From DD's to painful tissue expanders. But I am happier than I have ever been in my life and really wouldn't change a thing.

Well that's my story, if you need a photo, please let me know. I am writing this on my I phone at 5 am while getting my treatment right now.

Thank you for reading my story,
- C