determination not to quit

by Dorothy Eldridge

​I had been having mammograms since the 1980’s as my family has a history of breast cancer on my mother’s side. I had noticed lumps in my right breast since 1988, and was told by my gynecologist that it was “fibrocystic disease” and not to worry. In December, 1992, I had a discharge from my right breast. A biopsy was done and I was told they were 90% sure it was not cancer. They were wrong. In my case the tumors came first and the calcification came later.

I had a lumpectomy in January 1993. On February 1, 1993, I had a radical mastectomy with 10 lymph nodes removed, 5 of which were cancerous. Two had burst forth and entered into my system (either muscle or blood stream). I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer.

In April 1993, I began chemotherapy for 6 months. In September 1993, I started a regimen of 34 radiation treatments. From the combination of chemo and then radiation, I had an adverse reaction. The prognosis was not good. But through prayer and determination I started healing.

I took tamoxifen for six years and had my port left in for two years after treatments ended. And I’m here today – 20 years later – to share my story.

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