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

by 26 Comments
Feb
20
2012
Rachel's Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer) LR

So, one night back in April last year, I was so tired that I fell asleep with my clothes on. I woke up around 4am having some pain in my left breast because the underwire from my bra was poking into it. I started feeling the red spot on my breast and began to panic cause I felt a lump. Two days later, my journey to combat cancer started. I went from feeling a lump, to having a mammogram, to having a biopsy - in a matter of about a week. I fell on my kitchen floor crying when I was told over the phone that I had breast cancer. Next up was a lumpectomy and 33 tiring treatments of radiation. My world got turned upside down. But here I am… cancer free!! I fought like a girl! I fought for me and fought for the memory of my mom who passed away twenty years ago from cancer. Cancer survivor and proud of it!! Rachel Submitted 9-14-11 The informational content of this article is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not … [Read more...]

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Kerry’s Fight Like a Girl Story (RSD aka Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)

by 15 Comments
Jan
22
2012
Kerry's Story (RSD) LR

In 2000, when I was 13 years old, I was running pre-season for cross country…my FIRST year in high school!!! During a practice, I twisted my ankle, but finished the practice before finding the athletic trainer and talking with him. He told me to get an x-ray and stay off of it for a week before trying to run again. The x-ray came back negative and I began high school on crutches, just as I was told. A week later, the pain was worse, NOT better. I went through a series of MRIs, more x-rays, bone scans, etc. Nothing was coming back with any reason as to why I was in pain. I now felt as though I was on fire, my foot was swollen, and quite discolored. After about 3 months, my pediatrician ran out of ideas and sent me to a pediatric orthopedic about an hour away. After talking with me, my mom, and looking at my foot for about 5 minutes, he diagnosed me: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. That’s quite a mouthful of jumbled words with ZERO meaning for someone so young. He explained it to … [Read more...]

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

by 15 Comments
Dec
12
2011
Jill's Story (Breast Cancer) LR

2010….what a GREAT year for me! I had a beautiful family, I started my own photography business, then I heard the words "you have breast cancer". Okay, so that last part wasn't GREAT…but it did change my life for the BETTER. In September 2010, I felt a lump that seemed to be on my rib, so it was hard for me to determine what it was. So, I ignored it for a month. When it didn't go away, I went to the doctors. The doctor felt it, and said, "I really don't think it's anything to worry about" giving me that look as if to say "you are only 37, you can't have breast cancer". Luckily, I went with my gut. What followed was a mammogram, ultrasound, and a biopsy all within a few days. That following Friday I was told that I had breast cancer, DCIS. PHEW…I thought. That is the best type to have…if you have to have any. I was told I would only need sugery to remove the disease, radiation for 6 weeks, and I would have to take Tamoxafin for 5 years. Okay, I can handle that, at least I can … [Read more...]

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Marcia’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Fibromyalgia)

by 7 Comments
Nov
30
2011
Marcia's Story (Fibromyalgia) LR

I always felt like I was in pain. My muscles and bones hurt. I would go from doctor to doctor - all telling me that there was nothing wrong with me. I was really getting frustrated. I knew that there was something wrong with me and that I wasn't just crazy. Finally, when I was 28, I found a doctor who listened to me and then he told me that I had Fibromyalgia. Finally, somebody believed that there was something wrong with me. It can really get frustrating when you know that there is something wrong with you and nobody believes you. You really feel like you are crazy and that you're imagining things. Marcia South Carolina Submitted 8-31-11 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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Anita’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Breast Cancer)

by 8 Comments
Nov
18
2011
Anita's Story (Breast Cancer)

Two years ago this month (Aug 09), I found a lump while taking a shower. I was one of those woman who thought this couldn't happen to me, low and behold it did. I was so scared wondering what was going to happen to me. Friends from work went to my doctor appts to take notes as I couldn't remember what day it was, more less what was about to take place in my new world. Life as I knew it was about to change and believe it or not change for the better. I had surgery for a double mastectomy the end of September and back to work three weeks later. A month later I started 8 treatments of Chemo. The following March I had reconstructive surgery and kept on living….that's what you do, you keep on living. My daughter and son were very supportive but my biggest supporters were my 5 grandchildren ages 1-4. They are what got me up in the morning, smiled through each chemo treatment and who made the whole experience go by so quickly because they believed in their YaYa and even wore bandanas … [Read more...]

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Raven’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Lupus)

by 14 Comments
Oct
14
2011
Raven's Fight Like a Girl Story (Lupus)

I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus in September 2010. I spent the entire weekend in the bed, depressed and throwing myself a pity party. Until I thought about it; I have never been a quitter; and I've always led by example. I was only 27 at the time and, you know, it actually felt good to know WHY my body felt like it was falling apart. I still don't understand and I do sometimes doubt the doctor's diagnosis. I'm scared still. I have young children that I can't even throw a ball with because of my 5 shoulder dislocations (ortho says I'm too young to operate on). I also have bad knees, Raynaud's Phenomenon, degenerative disc disease & hyper-elasticity of the joints…. I think. Or it may all be the Lupus. I have so many questions – but my PCP doesn't want to answer. Just a prescription once a month for narcotics. I only recently began prednisone. I WILL BEAT THIS IF IT KILLS ME!!! What makes me the angriest is that I am unable to do anything. This depresses me. It doesn't help … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lupus Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Jaclyn’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Multiple Sclerosis MS)

by 14 Comments
Aug
14
2011
Jaclyn's Story (MS)

Power story……. Just those words make me wanna run and hide. I imagine a power story to be about a major struggle, and an ultimate victory. I don’t feel like I have had either. However, as I sit here reading other power stories, I realize that every struggle and every victory, big or little, matters. So maybe, just maybe, my story will help or inspire someone else out there. The last year has been one of the hardest years of my life. I have always been a go, go, go kinda girl. Working 2 jobs, hanging out with friends, traveling and being everyone's "support beam" (to quote what a great friend once said about me). All at once my life changed, in a big way. I was first hospitalized in May of 2010 (on my 30th birthday, no less). About 6 days before that I had started experiencing perineal numbness and then 2 days later numbness and tingling started in my feet and eventually (in about 4 days) moved all the way up my legs. Three doctors' visits later, I ended up in the ER. 1 … [Read more...]

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Sarah’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Lupus, Fibromyalgia)

by 16 Comments
Aug
05
2011
Sarah's Story (Lupus Fibromyalgia)

I don't think I'll ever forget how my diagnoses came about. I thought it was just a routine follow up I was having with my Orthopedic Surgeon concerning my second right shoulder surgery. Then, I mention to my doctor about chronic jaw pain I've been having and how I've already seen a dentist and had my wisdom teeth removed and hoped possibly he could help me. He thought it was odd I had a lot of joint pain at the age of 17 so he decided to run some blood work. My ANA came back positive, so he sent me to see a rheumatologist. My jaw wasn't the only joint where I was experience pain at so they ran some tests and I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Around the same time all this was happening I broke out in a really painful rash on my arms and got sent to a few more doctors. They took a skin culture and the tests came back positive for Discoid Lupus. I was half-way through my senior year of high school and got really sick. Luckily all of my teachers were very understanding and helped me … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fibromyalgia Stories, Lupus Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Jaime’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Hodgkin’s Lymphoma)

by 4 Comments
Aug
02
2011
Jaime's Story (Hodgkin's Lymphoma)

On October 4, 2010 I was given my most difficult challenge yet. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Stage 1). I should also mention that this also happened to be the fall of my senior year of college! My schooling has always been a number one priority, so being dealt an additional challenge was something I was willing to fight in order to be healthy and finish college on time. Chemo ended up being a lot harder on me than I thought it would be. I ended up having to stay home the week after chemo since I went to school two hours away. Thankfully my wonderful professors at Tiffin University were very helpful and gave me some leeway on assignment dates but I still had to complete the work. I felt very guilty when I felt like all I could do was sleep instead of doing homework, but I realized that it was the best thing for me. I had to push myself to get a lot more done on the days that I was feeling good to make up for the down days. My parents sacrificed a lot for me during this time, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Lymphoma Stories Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Claudia’s Fight Like a Girl Story (Chronic Pain)

by 8 Comments
Jul
09
2011
Chronic Pain Purple Ribbon

Hi! I am Claudia, from Romania. I’m 17, 158 cm, 55kg. I had a happy childhood with minor, but frequent, health problems. My story started 3 years ago. I was operated for appendicitis in March. In April I woke up in a morning with a pain on the left knee.  It was swollen. It hurt more when I went. I said: “Nothing wrong!”, thinking that I hit it without realizing. It was before Easter, so I continued to be normal. No doctors, no meds. During a week, the pain continued, moving to the right knee, than to the right ankle. They were swollen too. I went to the doctor and she said: “I’m sure that this is rheumatism. You’ll have tests to confirm, but anyway you have to do injections of Penicillin!”. I was shocked because I didn’t felt sick. I went there just because my mother said to and then I found that I have this. I took the treatment, but when the test came, the doctor realised that all are normal.  She said: “Oh! I think that there is a mistake from the … [Read more...]

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