Losing my mother to breast cancer in the mid 1990's was the beginning of my inside knowledge of the long term side effects brought on by treatment. She fought the battle for nearly ten years before it spread throughout her body and she simply had no energy left. The benefit of the treatment was treasured, it allowed our family time to prepare for losing the matriarch of our family.

The cancer showed up in her salivary gland, then passed through her lymph system stopping off and attacking her breasts. She immediately had a double radical mastectomy. The chemo attacked her skin and within five years her chest appeared as a tanned hide. It was tough and the skin was so tight there was never a thought of reconstruction. She drew the line when they wanted to do radiation. Sadly that may have saved her life but she had just lost a close friend from brain cancer who had been treated with radiation. She felt as if they had burned him alive. I later learned that they had done everything in their power to save his life and it was a final attempt to kill the cancer. She worked full time until the last eight months of her life. She had turned 58 in January, weighing 90 pounds, she stayed with us until March of the same year entering hospice for a week. My sisters, brother, and myself were blessed to be able to share her in our homes the last six months of her life.

In the 90's we were not as educated about genetics as we are today, but we were told that we should start regular mammograms at 35. I began mine and found the first knot two years after mother died. They went in and did a needle biopsy and we found it was benign. In 2003 I found a knot in my left breast and after getting my yearly mammogram, I was told that I had fiber cystic disease and that I shouldn't worry as cancer doesn't hurt. The following year after my mammogram they opted to do a sonogram. I was in the hospital within the week for a lumpectomy. I waited seven days for the results and they were spoken exactly as follows:"I really didn't think it was cancer so we redid the tests but it is a very large malignant tumor. You will go in and have a double mastectomy as soon as possible because it will most likely be in the other breast." He then left the room. I was shocked and angry with his cold manner. Even in 2004 I found doctor's seldom use the actual word "Cancer".

I went for a second opinion at the cancer hospital in Houston and after teaching me what was wrong and what we should do, I

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