Sandy Finestone

Survivor

When I received my breast cancer diagnosis in 1983, I was not given time to gather information to make my own decisions. Even if I had been given more time, in 1983 there was not much information available for a layperson to read and understand, nor were there as many options available as there are for women today.

My journey has taken me to many wonderful places. I have met some incredibly bright and brave men and women, and I have lost some loving friends. All of this prompted me to continue my education and change my career at a time when most women were thinking of leaving theirs.

I have, and currently, sit on the local and national committees of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I have facilitated and been on numerous panels concerning breast health and breast cancer. I have convened a conference regarding the issue of silicone breast implants and am considered an authority on this controversial issue, always attempting to keep solid science as the focus of the dispute. I co-chaired the Orange County Race for the Cure in 1996 and stand shoulder to shoulder every year with the other survivors in our pink caps and pink ribbons, as a beacon of hope to those women who are coming after us and who will stand with us the next year.