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Gayle’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

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Jun
19
2013
Pink Ribbon

In May of 2010, I was 52 years old. I had always gotten my annual mammogram. One morning as I awoke I felt a prompting from the Lord to touch my left breast. As I did so, I felt a large hard lump. I don’t know how I knew it, but I immediately knew it was cancer. The next day I made an appointment with my Gyn doctor. She tried a needle biopsy. This was not successful so, she scheduled a visit with a surgeon. With an ultrasound guided core biopsy he was able to get the sample. He told me he was sure this was cancer, and gave me my option's for treatment. I didn't have to think much as there was a strong family history of cancer. I chose a mastectomy. After surgery I was informed I would need chemo and radiation as the type of cancer was triple negative stage 2, high grade. I did almost 9 months of treatment, and today I am cancer free! I credit my family and my strong faith in Jesus Christ for getting me through the worst time in my life. If it wasn't for all the support I would … [Read more...]

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Terri’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Cancer)

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Jun
19
2013
Violet Ribbon

I can remember the day that my mom told us she had cancer. She called and asked us to meet her and my dad for dinner. My kid's were too young to understand. I think for a long time my whole family didn't understand. She was a good woman. She didn't drink or smoke, and she loved her family. I can also remember the day, five years later, that I had to tell her I had cancer. I've never figured out which was worse; hearing her tell us or knowing being a mother myself how hard it would be to hear that about her child. But she gave me strength to fight because as mothers do, they teach us how to get through anything. I lost my mom  four months later with three treatments left, but my counts were back to normal. I know she would not have let go if she didn't know I would be okay. I've been in remission for three years and miss her everyday. I would love to be able to tell her thank you for fighting for five years, and giving my children memories of her, and for watching over me. I … [Read more...]

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Carla’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

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Jun
19
2013
Pink Ribbon

I was visiting my mom and dad for our family’s normal Sunday afternoon dinner on December 16th. I asked my mom to feel my breast. It was hard, inflamed, and blood was coming from the nipple. I went to the doctor the next day and they did a mammogram. The radiologist did a scan, and a sample was taken from the nipple. The scans were within normal range, but the sample showed that I had abnormal cancer cells. A biopsy was done and they found that inflammatory breast cancer was evident. Mind you, it did not show up on the mammogram, so when tests were done after the holidays it was already a Stage IV. I have the rarest form of breast cancer there is. I am very scared, but I have my family and the support of the doctors at MD Anderson Houston in Texas. I am only one week into chemo but feel like I can beat this inflammatory breast cancer. I will beat cancer soon! Carla Florida Submitted 1-31-2013 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal … [Read more...]

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Vicky’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Lupus and Fibromyalgia)

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Jun
19
2013
Purple Ribbon

Six years ago I became very sick. After a lot of tests the doctor told me I have: lupus, fibromyalgia, and degenerative disc disease. So much happens to your body, people can look at you, and never know how sick you really are. He also said to me he didn't understand how I work a full-time job.  I said, "it (my illness) will not take my whole life from me, I will fight it till the end!" Vicky T Alabama Submitted 1-26-2013 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice. … [Read more...]

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Michelle’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

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Jun
19
2013
Pink Ribbon

I am 36 years old. I have stage 3 breast cancer. I just had my left breast removed, along with lymph nodes. Now I am going through chemo for the next year.   Michelle C Submitted 1-28-2013 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice. … [Read more...]

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Nikki’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

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Jun
17
2013
Pink Ribbon

I was diagnosed in February 2009 with invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer). In March 2009, I had a bilateral mastectomy. I am now almost a three year survivor!!!! Cancer touched my breast, so I kicked its butt!! Now my sister Patti is going through chemo for colon cancer. Also, my other sister Terrie was just diagnosed with invasive globular carcinoma (breast cancer). I know they too are going to kick cancers butt!!!! Nikki Florida Submitted 12-12-2012 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice. … [Read more...]

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Cassie’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Liver Cancer)

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Jun
17
2013
Green Ribbon LR

Where to begin, well I could begin in 1986 when I came into this world, but I'll spare all of those details. I will begin with May 2, 2012. Now seeing that I was born in 1986, then you can see that I am only 26 years old. May 2nd was the day that my whole entire world changed. It was the day that I found out that I would be in for the fight of my life because I had been diagnosed with liver cancer. Not only would I have to get use to the constant yellowing of my skin, but I also had to get use to my whole life and the way I lived it changing. I wasn't sure how to handle the news and wasn't sure what to tell my loved ones. I chose to not tell them and go on this battle alone. That was when I learned my first lesson from all of this, you cannot and should not do it alone. This journey is not only for you to change, fight, and grow but also for the ones around you. I was told several times that the things that I was going through with treatments was effecting those closest to me as … [Read more...]

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Kelly’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Crohn’s Disease)

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Jun
17
2013
Purple Ribbon

I am 23 years and have had Crohn’s disease for one year now. I remember the day I knew something was wrong. It was my first semester of college and my bowel movements started to change. For 5 years I insisted there was something wrong. My mom has been battling Crohn’s disease for the majority of my life so my instinct was Crohn’s. Finally towards the end of last year, I could not eat without being in pain. The doctor confirmed my instinct and I was diagnosed with Crohn’s. The medicine I was put on initially caused horrific knee pain. I could not get out of bed. I kept thinking to myself how am I going to be a physical education teacher when I can barely get out of bed in the morning. My parent's saw how much I struggled walking and we went to the ER. The steroid was causing inflammation in the knees  and I was taken off the steroid. Two weeks went by and I was feeling better. All of a sudden I got extremely sick. I was getting sick after every meal and dropping weight … [Read more...]

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Jennifer’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome)

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Jun
17
2013
Orange Ribbon

Before August of 2008, I was a healthy, active, yoga-loving, successful, workaholic 27 year old (if that makes sense to you). Now I am a disabled 30 year old with chronic, debilitating pain. In August of 2008 I was in a freak accident that resulted in stage 2 RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy) often called CRPS (chronic regional pain syndrome). CRPS  is a nervous system disorder that destroys bone, muscle, skin, and joints. It often leads to paralysis caused by a severe blow of some kind. Severe pain and exhaustion are the biggest complaints.  Many people only get a minor form of this disease, but I was not so lucky. I was forced to go on disability in January of 2009 with the hopes of getting it under control, but this was not the case for me. For no apparent reason, the disease spread down my right leg in that spring. By the end of the year I used a cane more often than not. I had physical therapy two to three times a week, had endured five sympathetic blocks, countless … [Read more...]

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Brenda’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Lung Cancer)

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Jun
17
2013
Lung Cancer Stories

I went into the ER in March of 2012 thinking I had pneumonia, but in the end I found out it wasn’t. On March 21, 2012 , my anniversary, I found out I had cancer, stage 3B, in my left lung and lymphoid. At first I went through a wide range of emotions; 'my God, who is going to take care of my family' was the biggest thing on my mind because I have always been the one who was always strong, never sick, and who took care of everyone. What would my family do if I wasn’t here?! I never once had a ”why me” thought. I was just plain worried about my family and their well being. At that point I told myself to pull myself up, hit cancer head on, and to let it know that cancer had never met a witch like me, and I will kick its butt!! My cancer went into remission, and my PET Scans came back with no active signs of cancer by the end if June, so I was given a vacation from chemo for two months. I went back on maintenance chemo until after my most recent PET Scan which I had in … [Read more...]

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