"Shave to Save" fundraiser via Rafael Filion and The American Cancer Society

Together, we can save lives from cancer!
This year, nearly 1.5 million people will hear the words "You have cancer," and there's a good chance that some of them will be people we know and love. Just recently my mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer and will undergo surgery here in mid February. Her faith in the lord has pulled her through this ordeal at this stage in her life, as I put my hopes and faith in the man upstairs I feel compelled to do my part and raise awareness while I too fight in my own way side by side with those have to deal with this on a daily basis.

Cancer is a scary word but I am inspired by Heather Edwards-Stephenson, a friend of mine who has been fighting Cancer with vigor, and valor, I thought it was necessary to help her tell her story to the world and fight alongside her, my mother and everyone else affected by this disease directly or indirectly.
I have chosen to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays – where cancer never steals another year from anybody’s life – by helping the American Cancer Society’s work.

With our help, the American Cancer Society saves lives and creates more birthdays by helping people stay well, helping people get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back.

For nearly a century, the American Cancer Society has fought for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community.

 Will you join me?

I hope you will support me in my effort to reach my goal by using the links below....
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=18835432&fr_id=35010&pg=personal

Here is Heathers’ story and link to her blog where she writes about her fight as she knocks out Cancer.

Heather’s Story

     The day the world just stopped…..I was looking forward to an upcoming marriage, becoming a new mother to my 6 month old baby boy and my other two beautiful children when my life was halted by cancer. Tuesday July 13, 2010 was like any other hot summer day, bustling with three children at home, but normal nonetheless, except this day would change my life forever. I went to my annual “girly” appointment I was still having issues with my left breast, I believed due to a blocked milk duct.  I had been having issues for a few months but that “dent” on the left breast had not gone away. I asked my doctor to look at it today while I was there. It couldn’t be anything too serious I mean I had just had two breast exams in the last year while I was pregnant and everything must be fine or they would have told me. It was probably just a stubborn blocked duct.

    Exam, mammogram, ultrasound, biopsy, lumpectomy and then bilateral mastectomy would be in store for the weeks following. WOW, this is so hard. How at 35 years old with no family history of breast cancer could I be facing the fight of my life? How could I have breast cancer or any cancer? Would I be here to raise my children?  Was I going to be disfigured? Would he even want to marry me with no breasts? Could I beat this?  What are my odds? Chemotherapy? Radiation? My world was spinning and everything was out of control. Cancer had invaded my body and taken control of life as I once knew.

   Invasive ductal carcinoma is the proper name, a 3.2 cm tumor had been growing in my body and I didn’t even know I was sick. It had invaded 3 of my lymph nodes and if not found could have metastasized to other parts of my body, like my liver, bones, or brain. I was diagnosed with the “good” kind of breast cancer in terms of treatment and life expectancy, PRAISE GOD!!! I guess it could be worse I thought. There are women facing this BEAST at 23 years old in much more aggressive form and when diagnosed are already at stage IV. I was “lucky” in terms of cancer; I was only stage 2b, if you call it luck. That didn’t excuse me from the hard road I had ahead.

   Since that hot July day, I have had three surgeries and face at least two or three more before it is over with reconstruction, five grueling months of chemotherapy, and thirty something days of radiation soon. It has been one heck of a journey and when I think back on the day I was diagnosed I can’t believe I have come this far. The support of my family, my church and friends has been the catalyst propelling me forward on this road. My faith in Jesus Christ, my healer, my redeemer, my everything, has been the one thing that has never changed or wavered.  I give Him all the praise and glory, for He is so good.

     I am learning that life is best lived and not just going through the motions. Cancer tried to steal my life, but I believe that cancer may have actually given me a new lease and appreciation for life that I may have never experienced. I am stronger than ever and know that I can conquer anything life throws at me now. You can’t have a testimony without a test, this is my test and now I hope to be a testimony. A testimony to the power and promises of Jesus Christ and what he can do in your life. Cancer isn’t a cake walk but you can tread and triumph over the mountain, standing at the top screaming “Cancer….take that”.   

    Cancer is an awful disease that doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care if you are a child, a mother, a son, a father or daughter. It is an equal opportunity offender. We have to STOP cancer in its tracks. We can do that by better screenings and detection, promoting healthy lifestyles, making advancements in treatments and CURES. Yes, I believe that cancer can be cured, not NED- no evidence of disease but CURED. The new genetic testing is finding links to all sorts of cancers that can be prevented through surgery like preventative mastectomy for breast and removal of ovaries for ovarian. These findings are the key to unlocking the CURE to many cancers by stopping them before they even form. This gives me as a mother and cancer survivor hope that my daughter may never have to “Fight like a Girl.”

  
For more on my cancer journey from start to finish line follow me at http://heathersknockingoutcancer.blogspot.com/