A Personal Message from Janna W.

Hi Ladies,
Janna really enjoyed her time with us earlier this week, and as she was thinking about our group, she wanted to share a few more words.

Here is her sweet message about her sister:

She was 8 years older than me and she meant the world to me. I remember walking that cancer journey with her and she had faith and joy until the end.

The furthest thing on my sister's mind was being diagnosed with breast cancer. She had tried for 5 years to have her son and was so happy. He was a precious baby and we all loved him so. At one year she was weaning him from breast feeding and developed a painful lump in her breast. Because she had been breast feeding the doctors thought it was mastitis (an infection in the milk ducts). The pain continued and she went to see a surgeon to have a breast biopsy with the plan for a mastectomy if the biopsy was positive. At 26 she had a radical mastectomy with multiple positive lymph nodes. She received her first chemotherapy treatment when her son developed meningitis and died at 15 months. My sister and her husband were broken hearted beyond explanation. She was at his funeral with her hair falling out. She never went into remission. She battled for 15 months and died 1 year after her son - almost to the day.

The take home message is that a woman is never too young to start monthly breast exams.

I was 18 years old at the time and now, 30 years later, I understand better than ever what she endured. She was my big sister and I love her more today than ever. One day we will be together again and what a celebration it will be!

Love,
Janna