WE ARE BRIGHT PINK

Liz
My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 35, and died from the disease at 39. I was only 8 years old. Even at such a young age I feared that I would someday have to go through the same experience, it was only a matter of when. Last year, at the age of 24, I thought my time had come when I discovered a suspicious lump in one of my breasts. I was referred to a specialist for testing, and had to wait five days for the biopsy results which was agonizing. I was grateful for the love and support I received from my family and friends. Luckily, test results concluded that I have a number of benign cysts that need to be monitored. This experience was a wake up call for me because I realized that I need to be proactive with my health since I am less than 10 years younger than my mom when she was first diagnosed. I do monthly self exams in addition to bi-annual mammograms and ultrasounds. I am also now considering genetic testing for the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes. Overall, the experience of watching my mother lose her courageous fight with breast cancer has had a profound effect on my life. I know that my mother would want me to do as much as I can to prevent this disease so that someday my children will not have to experience what I did.