Wordless Wednesday - A symbol of why we walk

One of my favorite moments of the 3-Day closing ceremony - survivors walking the final mile.

Breast Cancer is Survivable

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. This is a fact. Recently it seems like once a week I learn about someone else in my life affected by breast cancer. My 3 Day teammate recently had someone close to her diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, one of my donors and family members had a close friend diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, and now, one of my closest friends and former 3 Day walker found out her aunt was diagnosed this week with breast cancer. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. This is a fact.

It is also a fact that you can survive breast cancer. Thousands of women do just that. Seven years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, just like her mother before her. With the help of science and medicine, family and friends, faith and love, my mother just celebrated her 60th birthday. She is a breast cancer survivor.

It’s interesting growing up with a family history of breast cancer. From an early age I’ve known that I am considered high risk. If I have the breast cancer gene, which my mother’s doctors would like to test for, then I have an 88% chance of getting breast cancer in my life. I won’t lie and say that this statistic doesn’t scare me. But after seven years of staying connected to the breast cancer community, I know that if I am ever diagnosed, I will benefit from science and medicine, family and friends, faith and love, just like my mother did.

Breast cancer is survivable. That is a fact.