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30-39
Janice H.
breast cancer
stage one

On December 24, 1981 I went to take a shower to get ready to go to my Mother-in-law's house. As I brushed the crumbs that had accumulated from eating I felt a lump. My Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years before. I knew immediately what it was. Since it was Christmas I didn't want to ruin Christmas for anyone, so I kept it to myself until after Christmas. On December 26^th, I went to my Mother and had her feel the lump. She tried to be cool I think and not make a big deal of it because she didn't want to scare me. I called and made a doctor appointment. They told me because I was only 32 it was probably a cyst. They did send me to a surgeon for a needle biopsy. It came back cancer. I knew before that it was but actually hearing those words are devastating. I think the hardest things to go through while taking chemotherapy is losing your hair. For me that was the hardest. It has been 20 years now and I'm still here kicking and fighting. It can be done.

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