beyond pink team
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us
 If you are Breast Cancer Survivor and  you would like to contribute your story to our Newsletter, 
​please send us a message here.
DOWNLOAD Current NewsletteR

Categories

All
Advocacy
Bone Health
Breast Density
Breast Disease
Caregivers
COVID 19
COVID-19
Emotional Support
Environment
Exercise
Fatigue
Financial
Gender
Genetic Testing
Grief
High Risk
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Ignite
Implants
Intimacy After Cancer
LGBTQ
Lymphedema
Mammography
Meditation
Men
Mental Health
Metastasis
MRI
NBCC
Nutrition
Obesity
Pain
Pregnancy
Prevention
Radiation
Reconstruction
Reduce Risk
Rehabilitation
Screening
Sex
Side Effects
Support Groups
Surgery
Survivor
Survivorship
Treatment
Vaccine
Yoga
Young Women

Archives

January 2023
October 2022
July 2022
April 2022
January 2022
October 2021
July 2021
April 2021
January 2021
October 2020
July 2020
April 2020
January 2020
October 2019
July 2019
April 2019
January 2019
October 2018
July 2018
April 2018
January 2018
October 2017
July 2017
April 2017
January 2017
October 2016
July 2016
April 2016
January 2016
October 2015
July 2015
April 2015
January 2015
October 2014
July 2014
April 2014
January 2014
October 2013
July 2013
April 2013
January 2013
October 2012
July 2012
April 2012
January 2012
October 2011
July 2011
April 2011
January 2011
October 2010
July 2010
April 2010
January 2010
October 2009
July 2009
April 2009
January 2009
October 2008
July 2008
April 2008
January 2008
October 2007
July 2007
April 2007
January 2007
October 2006
July 2006
April 2006
January 2006
October 2005
July 2005
April 2005
January 2005
October 2004
July 2004
April 2004
January 2004

A Survivor’s Story

10/1/2009

0 Comments

 
by Kitty Ott

It wasn’t going to happen. I had participated in a five year study of Tamoxifin. That would take care of breast cancer for me! I should have known better.

I have four older sisters, three of whom had breast cancer. My fourth sister suffered cancer of the mouth and then a second bout with brain cancer. My youngest sister died too young, at age 49, from breast cancer. My older sister had a double mastectomy. She is now an active 91-year-old volunteering at her local Georgia nursing home, thinking up fun and games for the "old folks." I was surprised when my annual mammogram showed breast cancer - ductal carcinoma in situ. I felt nothing on my monthly self breast exam just a week before. I was told by Dr. Duven the lumps were too small to feel. Shows the importance of a mammogram! I’ve now had two surgeries and just completed 33 radiation treatments. Thank God for no chemotherapy.

My experience at the cancer center was a mostly happy one. The gals in radiation were my "clinic angels." Getting to meet them was an added bonus. They are a pretty lot - - always upbeat, pleasant and a joy to be around. I thank them and the doctors for making me feel important and making my visit to the cancer center pleasant. I’d love seeing them again, just not under the same circumstances!

The word "cancer" scares us all. Taking radiation treatments had me feeling a bit apprehensive, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. It took longer to take off my blouse and put on a robe than it did to have the treatment. I love to tell that on my first visit I got "marked" to show the area on my breast for radiation. I told the girls that if I can’t have a butterfly marking I don’t want any markings at all. Would you believe the next day I received faux tattoos of butterflies? Pretty neat, huh?

​I don’t consider myself a victim of cancer and my experience hasn’t been unpleasant. A quiet, early spring morning drive to the clinic looking at the flowering trees, and then later, the blooming flowers, was magnificent. I loved checking on the mallard drake roaming the yard backing onto Ridgeway Avenue. You may think I’m a bit daft to find pleasure in these things at this time! It’s nice to have the treatments behind me. And I hope I have the cancer behind me too. I thank God I’ve gotten past this chapter in my life. I also thank God that he gave me cancer in the spring instead of the nasty, dark winter. There is some good in all things and I’ve been very blessed.  
read full newsletter
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

CONTACT US

Beyond Pink TEAM
c/o Jeanne Olson, Treasurer
1407 Asbury Lane
Waterloo, IA 50701
​beyondpinkteam@gmail.com
(319) 239-3706
©2020 Beyond Pink TEAM
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us