A SURVIVOR STORY BY CARISSA JOHNSON
​​Cold, hollow, a blur. These are the feelings I experienced when I was told I had stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer, along with the BRCA1 gene, at the age of 33. No one can prepare you for that news and you can’t help but think of the worst.
We often hear that no one knows your body better than you, but this became a reality for me after my diagnosis. For five months prior to my diagnosis, I had been complaining about pain in my breast. The pain was constant, not excruciating, but very tender. I did not show the “normal signs” of breast cancer, so my symptoms did not raise any red flags, until months later when I found a lump. I had a feeling this lump was a lymph node, as it was more in my arm pit area. I had a mammogram and an ultrasound and was told that there were a couple of concerning spots. As soon as they turned the screen to show me, I started crying. I knew something wasn’t right and the images confirmed those feelings.
After that first initial shock and panic wore off about my diagnosis, my emotions were all over the place. I look back at pictures from before my diagnosis and wish so badly for those “easy” days again.
Emotions aside though, attitude is everything! I’ve always been a glass half full kind of person. I truly believe that a positive attitude can make all the difference in any situation. My advice to anyone going through a challenging time is to always look for the “silver lining;' there’s always at least one!
Cancer treatment is no walk in the park, especially when you’re thrown curve balls throughout the journey. But through it all I have continued to keep my positive mind set. At the time of my diagnosis, I was given the standard triple-negative treatment plan, Taxol/Carbo and then AC. I had fully prepared myself for chemo side effects, but what I was not prepared for was having so many allergic reactions. I’ve always been one of those patients that never wanted to be a bother, but being open and vocal with your medical team is so critical when going through treatment. During my second chemo treatment I quickly started to experience reactions that I had felt the first time.
Seconds after clicking the button to call the nurse, my throat started to swell. My blood pressure soon began to tank. I can’t even describe what that feels like other than every square inch of your body hurting. That has so far been the scariest moment of my life but thank goodness I was in such great hands! I continued to have reactions to two more chemo drugs after this, but even so, my treatments were working!
My husband and I have two young children, and they have also taught me so much about resiliency and u n d e r s t a n d i n g through all of this. I was so worried they wouldn’t understand what was happening to me or be confused. We explained to them that mommy has a few boo-boos and the medicine I must take will make my hair fall out. They just looked at us and said “ok, will it come back?” with no concern.
I was also worried that I’d be down for the count most of the summer and not be able to do many fun things with them. Again, they were perfectly content with numerous movie nights and playdays at home while mom laid on the couch.
As I write this, I’ve finished my last round of chemo and now am preparing for my surgery in a few weeks. Six months ago, I thought the chemo treatments would never end, but looking back time has flown by. I know it will continue to go like this as I progress through the rest of
my treatment plan. I’ve always been a supporter of the Beyond Pink TEAM in the past but now having been on the receiving end of their services, it’s even more personal for me. I sadly won’t be able to physically participate in the Pink Ribbon Run this year due to my surgery, but
my family and friends intend on making this an annual tradition moving forward.
One positive thing that has come out of my cancer journey is realizing how amazing and kind people are. So many people have helped us
through this journey and continue to support my family in ways I never could’ve imagined.

October isn’t just breast cancer awareness for women, but men too! The American Cancer Society estimates how breast cancer will impact American men in 2024: 
• 2,790 men in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.
• About 530 men will die from breast cancer.

That means 1 in 726 men will develop breast cancer. Marlyn Washburn was one of them (read his story in the April 2024 ​Touch of Courage newsletter).
When Marlyn’s own daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, he commented that he never needed to worry about getting breast cancer. Men don’t get breast cancer. But two years later, Marlyn was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
His family and friends were not familiar with the medical terminology or fully understood what it meant to be “metastatic.” The oncologist told them there was no cure, but there was hope to give him “five quality years.” Marlyn lived only five months after his diagnosis.
Patricia, Marlyn’s wife, took his last car and had it wrapped to bring awareness and educate people about risks men also face when it comes to breast cancer (photo above). 
Patricia travels the United States to meet men with breast cancer, their loved ones, their caregivers, and their widows, listening to their stories and giving encouragement. Patricia recently joined The CARE Project, Inc. which is a non-profit organization which emotionally and financially supports male and female breast cancer patients.
In addition, Patricia developed The Marlyn Washburn Grant. This grant is awarded annually to one man undergoing active treatment or within 60 days of last treatment.
To learn more about The CARE Project, Inc. or The Marlyn Washburn Grant go to thecareprojectinc.org.
Locally, the Beyond Pink TEAM offers grants to support both men and women financially while in treatment. Talk to the social worker at your cancer treatment or breast center for assistance in applying, or visit the "financial assistance" page of this website.