In 2001 my mother passed away from breast cancer and my life changed. It was always different when my mom was sick but now she was gone and I had to deal with the life anxiety of would it happen to me. My mother was young when she was diagnosed being told at first the lump was nothing to come back in a couple months. When she went back it was breast cancer and had invaded her lymph nodes. My mother's battle had only just begun, with radiation and chemo therapy slowly eating away at her we got good news, she was in remission! Within a year it was back and spreading, now on her bones, on her spine and effecting how she was walking. Confined to a hospital bed, put on medicines to ease the pain and hospice making weekly visits I spent the rest of my mother's time enjoying what we had left.
I have done many Relay For Life walks and fundraisers for breast cancer but I've never done anything by myself. This year on Mother's Day in Philadelphia I will run a 5k in honor of my mother. I will use all the wonderful memories I have of my mother and pull from the strength she had during her journey to get through my run. I will not stop until I reach the end and I will never rest easy until there is a cure for cancer.
I have been told by many doctors my percentage of getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer and that the best thing I can do is early detection. I give myself monthly checks, go to my DR and always have one, I have had genetic counseling, looking into the genetic testing and I am trying to eat healthier.
Tonight's picture is a tattoo I have on my ankle, it was the Relay For Life team name right after my mom passed away, her name was Ann.
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