<h4>Hello<font size="4">,</font></h4>
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<h4>I am a 39 year old divorced mother of two teenage sons, ages 13 and 17 who are the light of my life. My cancer story began when I was just 4years old. I was diagnosed with Wilmns Tumor. I had my left kidney,L.adrenal gland,spleen and appendix removed because the cancer had spread. I received chemotherapy and then radiation to the chest after a reoccurence in my lungs. I remember attending the first day of kindergarten and getting teased because I had no hair, I refused to wear a wig because it itched my head. I eventually became in the all-clear but still had yearly checkups at Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio until I turned 18.</h4>
<h4>During my childhood, my mother developed breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy. When I was 18, she had a reoccurence and found that the cancer had returned to her bones. I helped take care of her. She fought a hard and courageous fight, but succumbed the the cancer in 1993. I was married at this point, and had a 2 year old son. In 2000, while taking a shower, I felt a hard lump in my breast. I immediately went to my family Dr. who sent me for a mammogram ASAP. It turned out abnormal and a biopsy was scheduled. At the age of 29, I remember waking up, still groggy from the anethesia to hear the news that I had breast cancer. Because of my mother and my childhood cancer, I had a bi-lateral mastectomy. I then received chemo, and lost my hair again. At this time, I had a 3 year old son and my oldest son was in the 3rd grade. My marriage fell apart, my husband chose to leave us and assume another relationship with a woman he worked with. After about a year of again, seeming to be in the all clear stage, I went back to school and began working full time to support my boys. During this time I could not obtain health insurance, my job did not have a good plan and I was turned down. I went for atleast 4 years without health insurance, finding myself in this "gray area" where I was just at the cut-off point to receive Medicaid, I had no choice but to work and continue looking for a job that had a good health insurance plan. Finally in 2006, I found a decent job with benefits. I made an appointment for a check up with my family Dr. I mentioned to him about 2 small sub-cutaneous nodules on the back of my neck, about the size of a pencila erasor. I had them for a while, but thought they couldn't be too serious. I had a biopsy to remove them, even the surgeon who did the biopsy thought they were just harmless nodules. I remember the day I was told my cancer had returned, I was totally shocked. I had just gotten off work and went to the surgeon's office for a follow up visit. He said that the nodules contained breast cacncer cells and I needed to get in ASAP to my oncologist, which I promptly did. I have since switched Dr.'s after a second opinion. My original oncologist made sure to mention in his notes that I did not follow up as I should have, which left me feeling terribly guilty, but I owed him money as I was trying to go along as self pay for 4 years, what was I supposed to do? I could hardly make ends meet. Well, enough of the blame game, I do not hold him responsible for my reoccurence, even though I sometimes feel I have been cursed. My new oncologist, as of 07/07 put me through many tests, CAT scans, PET scan, etc. I was told I have Stage 4 Breast cancer that has metastisized to my bones-what a really horrible coincidence, the same as my mother. I was put on Aromasin and Zometa for a year. Just this week, I was told that the cancer has worsened and that the medication was no longer working. I just finished 2 full weeks of radiation and now am trying Faslodex, it is the only drug left to try before chemo. The only way I could obtain health insurance was to go on disbility. I tried to work up until October of last year but my lower back pain was unbearable. My insurance was only valid if I worked part time. I really need to bring positive changes into my life. I am so depressed, I know I have to put up a great fight, even though I feel so tired. It really helps to know that I am not alone and there are many who are fighting this diesease along with me.</h4>