My name is Laura and I don’t have breast cancer but my mother had it and that makes me more prone to having it myself. I am sharing my story because even if no one reads this I feel obligated to share it to forever let my mother know how much I love and admire her strength through her own personal struggle with it. I’ll never forget the day she came home and told me and my aunt Nancy that the test was positive…I almost lost it. I always thought my mother would be here forever and for the first time I faced that she might not be. My aunt squeezed my hand hard and she’s always been the “take care of everything – everything’s is gonna be ok – you’re overreacting” person in my family, but with that squeeze I knew she was scared and immediately so was I.
I was leaving for truck driving school the week she had her lumpectomy. I didn’t want to go and told my family I wasn’t going so I could stay home and take care of her. My family said no, to go ahead and go, that they would take care of her, and my mother as strong as she is and as much as she puts herself before me encouraged me to better myself and that she would be here when I got home.
I came home every weekend and saw her health declining. She was getting sicker and losing alot of weight and sleeping the whole time I was home. The cancer got into her lymph nodes which meant chemo. She never complained nor asked why. She lived on banana pops and broth for 6 months. However, she graduated from the cancer center a survivor.
The University Of Alabama’s gymnastics team honored her along with several other breast cancer survivors at their meet. I was so proud of her. Sometimes it’s hard for me to tell her how much I love her and how much she means to me and how I would be lost without her. So I will do it here and hope she knows now that I would be an empty shell of a person if my mama was gone. You are my hero. You have my utmost admiration and I respect you thru all that you’ve been thru. Most of all, I love you Pat Toxey. Papa would’ve been proud and you know he and Treavor were up there looking out for you. Sincerely, your forever loving daughter, Laura
Laura
Alabama
Submitted 2-6-12
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.
This story 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.
keep fighting, everyones a winner, I tell myself I am a winner either way, i was dianosed april 26th of 2012, just finished all treatments and I am claiming its gone, take care and b strong.
Laura, your story and love for you Mom has touched me very deeply! You’re an amazing daughter!! I’m a three yr. survivor of Breast Cancer but I never went through all that your Mother had to endure. I was very blessed that they caught mine early. I’ve had both of my breasts removed, there was no cancer in the lyphnodes and for that I’m grateful. My late husband and my youngest son stood by me through it all! I deeply loved my husband of 4 yrs. I was terrified before the surgery that because we were newlyweds he wouldn’t want me anymore. His answer was that he love ME not my body!! I had two awful previous marriages and almost didn’t marry Corky…Praise the Lord that I did!! Make sure that you do your self exams and have yearly checkups!! My Mother, Father, Grandfather on my Father’s side, my Grandmother on my Mother’s side and my Greatgrandmother on Dad’s side all passed away from one form of cancer or another. I’m the oldest sibling and I have two younger brothers and a younger sister. My brother Scott is on a liver transplant list because he has liver cancer and my baby sister, Linn, has had 1/2 of her colon removed due to cancer. So far only my brother Raymond has not been touched with this awful disease and so far all three of my sons are cancer free…Praise Yahweh!! Good luck to you and your family and may you all continually be blessed!! Yours…Debi
I have been fighting for 4years come 9/2009 I’m stage 4 I’ve been lucky I’ve not been sick yet not planing to be but I have been on 6 defrant cemo’s I go ever 3mons for scans next monday I’ll have them again.I’ll fine out if this one treatment is working.KEEP YOUR HEAD HIGH AND KEEP FIGHTING.