AAllman

Judie G. Sherman, 83, gained a new appreciation for life after her stage three breast cancer diagnosis in 1975. After having 25 radiation treatments, a radical mastectomy, and prophylactic surgery, Judie didn’t lose her vivacious spirit. “I learned to be grateful daily for all the gifts bestowed upon me, especially little things I could have easily overlooked: the sun shining, raindrops lingering on flower petals, the leaves beginning to turn colors. All that surrounded me became brighter and more beautiful.” Judie says she prayed regularly, exercised, and turned to friends and family for comfort. “Call on [...]

Resilience has become a philosophy of living for Alana Auslander-Price who was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer in 2012. After enduring multiple treatments, which included having a double mastectomy and oophorectomy, Alana, 42, had a dragonfly tattooed on her scars instead of having breast reconstruction.The dragonfly, Alana says, symbolizes resilience and after five years, she hasn’t broken her stride. Alana believes breast cancer patients shouldn’t let their diagnosis be the defining factor of their lives and says women have more power over their outcome when they take control of their health. “Don’t ever [...]

Although Adrian Annette Oldham, 44, faced many tumultuous moments, she didn’t allow negative thoughts to dominate her life. “I always claimed victory over cancer, and I was blessed to have a positive strong support system of family and friends.”In June 2016, she discovered a lump confirmed to be stage one ductal HER2 positive breast cancer. Adrian had a mastectomy with lymph node removal and will complete her treatments in March 2018. Having reliable friends and family members who could anticipate her needs made recovery much easier for Adrian. One of her friends organized a meal [...]

When Lynnette Rochelle Fulton was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in 1995, she relied on her spiritual faith to cope with the fear. “I realized He had a plan for my life. You have to recognize you’re not in this battle alone. There are so many other people that have walked this path and survived.”Lynnette, 61, had a radical mastectomy, but maintained a positive outlook throughout the experience with the help of her family. “The best thing my family and friends did for me during this time was support me emotionally, help me physically [...]

Despite being diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in April 2017, Brooke Egan isn’t putting life on hold. The 45-year-old wife and mother of three stays optimistic about the future and gains strength from friends and family. “I keep moving forward, living my life, staying strong in faith, and finding joy in every day. When needed, I retreat to re-energize my body and spirit without thinking, ‘There’s something I should be doing.’” Brooke, who had a bilateral mastectomy and lymph node removal in May, completed her last round of chemotherapy this month and says her prognosis [...]

Patsy Dawson, 52, stopped worrying about what people would think about her physical appearance and figured out what she could do to help other breast cancer patients. “I feel awesome when I can talk to or help someone recently diagnosed.”Patsy had been receiving radiation treatments for Hodgkin’s disease and was told that the radiation could increase her risk for developing breast cancer. In 2012, Patsy was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer and had a double mastectomy followed by four other surgeries. However, Patsy says, choosing not to stop the treatments was one of the [...]