Breast Cancer & Birthdays
I was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer on April 4, 2009, at the age of 42. The way the doctors kept talking to me, I didn’t think I would make it to my next birthday:
“Yes, Maria, your Nottingham Grade report came back at 8 out of 9; this is a tool that measures the prognosis and severity of your cancer… you are considered high-risk… you tested four out of eleven lymph nodes after all the chemotherapy you did…”
Well, I managed to not only make it to that next birthday; I’ve made it to three more after that. I know that reaching five years is somehow the miraculous number that all breast cancer patients strive for. Me? I think celebrating even one more day and special days like birthdays at Olive Garden with family is okay by me.