Petra...

In the fall of 2011 I got a piercing pain in my left breast and during a physical a few weeks later my Dr. discovered a lump. So off to mammogram and when the radiologist came in to do the ultra sound himself I already knew – that must be cancer. A biopsy was scheduled right from the ultrasound room, so I went there 2 days later. As a single mom, this was not something I wanted to tell my 3 children.  
I was told that I had a pea sized tumor and no, I would not die from this. It was very early stage and a lumpectomy was scheduled for 5 days before Christmas. After the operation, I received radiation and after the last radiation treatment my breast had an infection. My radiation doc at the Cross, did not believe in the infection though I had a hole in my scar and it was leaking. My family doc got me an ultrasound appointment a day later and the next day I was at the Misericordia getting a 6x3 infection cut out of my breast with local anesthetic.
Well, at my one year “after” appointment at the Cross I was told that I was cancer free.
So 2 years later I had reconstruction surgery (all together 3 surgeries – one that left me with a big scar on my back). I went for my mammogram every year, had physicals every year and so on. One day I had a really bad pain in my left groin, probably a pulled muscle everyone thought. I could hardly walk and not lift my leg. I finally went to get x-rays after 6 weeks and was told probably bone cancer. How could this be? I had a tiny hole in my left hip bone (same side as the breast cancer) and got 5 radiation treatments. Meanwhile I saw the oncologist and there it was: 
Breast Cancer Stage 4 – Metastasized from origin to bone. The pain went away 2 weeks after radiation but the diagnosis was there – survival range for the first 5 years was about 22%.
I was pretty much done mentally, what would my youngest son do? He just started University and relied on me. I had a CT scan and another bone scan about 4 weeks ago and everything was clear.
So I continue on with my life even so the side effects are nasty sometimes, but I still have my hair - for now LOL. But sometimes it feels like I cannot take anything more.
I am still working full time (have to), planning my future and my teary outburst are getting less and less.