Linda Beard

Survivor

After 18 months of being treated for fibroid cyst disease, I noticed my left nipple starting to invert. I went back to my doctor and demanded a biopsy. My world felt like it was going to fall apart when he gave me the news I had breast cancer and probably had the whole 18 months since I had found the lump in my breast. I found new doctors and started the long journey of cancer treatments. I decided to have a double mastectomy, but had to have four rounds of chemo to shrink the tumor before I could have the surgery.

After six weeks of recuperation from the mastectomy and reconstruction, I started on the next four rounds of chemo, then on to 36 treatments of radiation. I have always had the vice of being very vain about my appearance. Needless to say, losing my hair was very devastating. My sister bought me the most beautiful wig, which looked so much like my real hair no one could tell the difference.

After one year of treatments I can gladly say that now I am in total remission. I’m really not sure how I could have survived the whole ordeal if it hadn’t been for my faith in the Lord, my loving family, my church and community. I also found a fantastic cancer support chat room on AOL that has helped me tremendously.

My mother kept telling me to go see another doctor the entire time I was being treated for fibroid cysts. In my mind, since all the tests I had been through had come back negative, I didn’t have anything to worry about. Now I wish I would have gone; maybe I wouldn’t have had to go through the double mastectomy and may have only had to have a lumpectomy.

I really encourage everyone to listen to your body and get a second opinion. Praise God I’m here today to give my story so it may help someone else.