November 14, 1996 at the age of 44 I was driving on K-96 when my cell phone rang. The caller was Dr. Harrison and his message to me was “You do have cancer. The good news is we caught it early.” It’s the words you hope that you never hear from your doctor. However, I can’t say I was shocked at the news considering the history in my family. My mother had been diagnosed on two different occasions with breast cancer and underwent surgery and treatment successfully. When my sister was 44, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery, chemo and radiation. Ten years later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the other breast and went through additional surgery and treatment.
Surgery was followed by radiation and I am extremely thankful to my family for the support and love they offered during the entire experience. This is not something that only impacts the patient, it takes a toll on all the family members and friends.
The message I want to share is that early detection is the key to survival. I was faithful about doing my monthly breast self exams and having my annual mammograms. My diagnosis came only after a routine mammogram indicated there might be a problem. It is imperative that women follow the recommended guidelines for mammograms.
A couple of years after my diagnosis, I decided to attend my first Race for the Cure. I must admit that I was very reluctant about attending and was not interested in being a member of the “pink hat club”. From the moment I set foot on the race site, I was focused on just getting through the morning. What I was not prepared for was the range of emotions that took place throughout the event. It seemed that everywhere I looked, there were women in pink hats of all ages. When Jess and I were doing the 1 mile fun walk I noticed a young girl about 7 in front of us holding her father’s hand. I noticed the placard on her back that said “In memory of my mommy” and his placard said “In memory of my wife”. I never knew their names but the image of those two have been an inspiration for my involvement in the Mid-Kansas Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation since that time. The next year Jess and I volunteered to hand out t-shirts and we were hooked! Everyday that we work with this wonderful group, we are reminded that every step we take is a step closer to finding a cure!
by Judy Moody