Surviving breast cancer: a true story Published Oct. 19, 2011 By Stephanie Flowers 94th Security Forces Squadron DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- My name is Stephanie Flowers and I am a breast cancer survivor. When I was 33 years old, I felt a lump in my left breast one evening while playing with my son. He bumped the back of his head against my breast while swinging his head backwards, and I felt a dull ache. I touched it, and I could not believe that I felt something foreign and so hard in my body. My intuition told me that this was not a good sign, and the thought started going through my mind, "Could it be cancer?" I knew it was not suppose to be there, but it was. The next day I called my mother and told her what I had discovered. I made an appointment with the doctor to have a breast examination and mammogram. Initially, the doctor insisted that everything was alright, there was no need for a mammogram and that I was too young to have breast cancer. She felt certain by doing a hand exam that it was just a cyst. I insisted on a mammogram, and threatened to get off the table and go elsewhere for a test. The doctor reluctantly placed an order for me to see a mammogram specialist. After getting a mammogram test done, the specialist found two large masses in my left breast. A biopsy was done, and I waited for two days for the results. The mammogram specialist called me with the results of my test. After a lot of small talk, wishing she had better news to share, my biopsy confirmed that I had two cancerous tumors in my breast and to find an Oncologist and Radiologist as quickly as I can. She advised me not to procrastinate. The news was the worst thing I had ever heard in my life. Like many people, I never thought this could happen to me. Even worst, I was at work, and not at home, when I got the call. I called my mother immediately after hanging up with the doctor, and told her the news, and then I cried for 15 minutes or more in the office parking lot. Thoughts started going through my mind like, "What stage is my cancer in? Am I going to die? I just bought my house! Who's going to take care of my son?" Afterwards, I had a Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) scan done, and found that my tumors were in stage two, in which patients usually has an 88 percent survival rate. I was able to catch it in time and had the tumors removed through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Taking these steps saved my life. Breast cancer awareness month is very important to women of all ages. Preventing breast cancer can be as simple as performing breast exams monthly. If you do detect an unusual lump, change in skin texture or color, please have a mammogram done. We are celebrating 25 years of awareness,education and empowerment! NOTE: Breast cancer is a disease which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the breast. One of the earliest signs of breast cancer can be an abnormality that shows up on a mammogram before it can be felt. The most common signs of breast cancer are a lump in the breast; abnormal thickening of the breast; or a change in the shape or color of the breast. While October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, www.NBCAM.org is a year-round resource for breast cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and the general public.
