It’s a life changing experience.

You have to confront your own mortality.  And, you learn in a hurry what’s important.  You learn where to put your effort, where to put your strength, and where to just stop it.  You don’t fiddle around with nonsense anymore.

You cannot worry.  You live your life.  You live fully while you can and you live every day so that it counts.”

“You take a deep breath and confide fully in the people that you love and trust.  Don’t try to carry everything by yourself.  I was helped immensely by my husband.  After my surgery, he told me, ‘Don’t worry.  You’re not going to die.  You have too much jewelry to wear out.’

Those are the kind of people you need.”

Harriet Gross | Dallas, TX | 76 | wife to Fred | mother of Sol, Devra and Mike | writer

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  1984  1997 | Lumpectomy  1984  1997 | Radiation  1984 | survivor

Losing my hair was hard, but I always say that I had good hair for the first 50 years, so if I have ‘not so good’ hair for the next fifty, that’s okay.”

“I always say I was blessed.  I had the best-case scenario.  And, I was blessed with a strong support system.

Not everyone has that.

My husband, my friends and my family really helped me.  That’s why I think it’s so great to give back, to help other women get the treatment and support they need.”

Sandy Young | Baton Rouge, LA | 48 | mother of Ashley and Jason | wife to Gary | business owner

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  May 2007 | Lumpectomy  May 2007 | Chemotherapy  July – October 2007 | Radiation  November 2007 – 2008 | survivor

I wanted people to see me going through it, being brave, and coming out on the other end, so that they would be brave.

I wanted to take the fear out of it.”

“In my pain, God poured out a whole new ministry for me.

I love life.

I always loved it before, but I really love it now.  I’m moving at a full rate of speed.   You have to have fun.  You have to learn how to ‘bling.’

Bling when you feel your worst and your weakest.  Don’t let chemotherapy or radiation get the best of you.  If you look good, you feel good.  Bling on the inside with self-esteem, and bling on the outside with something flashy and cute.

Cancer can’t have my cute.

Learn how to bling.  It will make the journey a lot more beautiful.”

Sheron Patterson | 52 | Dallas, TX | wife to Robert | mother of Robert, Jr. and Christian | pastor 

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  January 2007 | Bilateral Mastectomy  May 2007 | survivor

Now, I’m not scared.

I know, of this cancer, I’m not going to die.  My aunt (Julia) is my inspiration.  She gave me all the strength I need.

It’s not easy.

Many people don’t know anyone who has had cancer, and they think they are going to die.  I had my aunt, who survived, and I didn’t think that way.”

“Now, when I’m in the house, after chemo, I put on music.  I love music.

I walk around singing.

I don’t always feel well, but I’m singing.  I walk into the kitchen and I’m dancing.”

Kitty Rodriguez | 44 | Dallas, TX | wife to Isais | mother of Victor and Valerie | dietary worker 

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  April 2011 | Single Mastectomy  November 2011 | Chemotherapy  May 2011 – October 2011 | Radiation  December 2011 | survivor

I told my family, ‘It’s cancer.  I’m going to be aggressive and treat it right away.’

I didn’t cry.

I said, ‘I’m going to be okay.  I’m going to be okay.

I’m going to live.’

“I didn’t want my granddaughter to see me sad.  I knew I had to continue to move forward.  I had to go out of the house.

I needed to talk.

You have to think about it as any illness, not cancer.  You have to believe you are going to get over it.

Don’t get sad; don’t.

I had all of those thoughts, but I said, ‘no.’  Now, everything in life looks more beautiful.”

Julia Rodriguez | 59 | Dallas, TX | wife to Jose Zavala | mother of Aracelia and Edith | housekeeper 

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  November 2005 | Lumpectomy  February 2006 | Chemotherapy  November 2005 – February 2006 | Radiation  March 2006 | survivor

All of this happened pretty quickly.

Of course, it was quite surprising.  But you’ve got it, and you have to deal with it.

Harriet set a good example for me.”

“We have continued with our lives the same way we were prior to breast cancer.  You have to live your life as best you can.

Maybe some men would be ashamed of having this, that it’s a woman’s disease.

That’s a silly way to think of things.

Men are a minority, but that just doesn’t matter.  Cancer – in general – is not a woman’s disease.”

Fred Gross | 81 | Dallas, TX | father of Michael | wife to Harriet | retired 

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  November 2008 | Lumpectomy  January 2009 | Radiation  May – July 2009 | survivor

And, by the grace of God, He just pulled everyone together.

Being single, you’re by yourself, and that was very scary.  Between my sisters, my friends, they all made sure that I was taken care of.

Seeing the love surround me made it all easier to do.”

“I tell you, it made me a stronger person in a lot of ways; more compassionate, more sensitive to other people and what they are going through.

It’s made me a better person. The challenge allowed me to grow.”

“I prayed a lot.  The quiet times times, when you’re by yourself, that’s when I found a lot of my strength.

It’s amazing, but sometimes you can feel angels around you, and that was very comforting to me.”

Karen Kelly | Richardson, TX | 52 | registered nurse | survivor 

Diagnosis: Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma  April 2006 | Lumpectomy  May 2006 | Chemotherapy  June – November 2006 | Radiation  January – February 2007 | survivor

Cancer is not a death sentence.

And, that has been my proclamation through all of this.”

“I’ve gone through cancer with friends and family, and I was always the encourager.  I had experience with cancer early on.  I had no idea that I would have to come back and take that same encouragement that I was giving out.  Everything that I was telling others to do, I had to turn around and take that same pill myself.”

“I still go every six months.  If all I have to do is drive to the office, pay parking, let them probe around a little bit, hey, I’m good with that.

You have to know what your purpose is.  God has a purpose for all of us.”

Acquilla Graves | Cedar Hill, TX | 62 | mother of Nikole and Jeremy

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  December 2008 | Lumpectomy  January 2009 | Radiation  April 2009 | survivor

You never think it could happen to you….

My sister stuck beside me, went to all my doctor’s appointments, went to my chemo when my husband wasn’t able to.  She helped me a lot.  And, I appreciate that, because there are people that have cancer and they don’t even have a family to support them.  I thank my family because they have been with me through thick and thin.

Cancer will either break you, or it’ll make you.”

“It’s a battle and it’s a struggle, but you get through it.  It’s something that just comes and goes.

I don’t complain.  I do whatever I have to.

I go to work every day and I say ‘Thank you for my health, for allowing me to wake up this morning.’ ”

Cheryle Jones | Dallas, TX | 45 | wife to Anthony | mother of Dionne and Damarcus | special services

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  December 2010 | Lumpectomy  December 2010 | Chemotherapy  March – June 2011 | Radiation  August – September 2011 | survivor

I’ve been blessed through the whole process.

It’s been a journey, but it makes you appreciate the things you have and the people around you.  It’s an eye opening experience.”

“You have your cry and save the rest of it for fightin’.  You get tough and fight back.

It can either make you a better person, or you can be lonely and bitter and curl up in a ball, and I refuse to do that.”

Lori Underwood | Mesquite, TX | 49 | mother of Kimberly and Jennifer | pharmacy technician

Diagnosis: Breast Cancer  November 2008 | Lumpectomy  November and December 2008 | Bilateral Mastectomy  February 2009 | survivor