I signed a petition from Komen Advocacy Alliance urging my legislators to maintain cancer research funding in 2011.  Why did I sign? Because I know FIRST hand that without cancer research, we can't fight or live!

I am a breast cancer survivor of 7 years. I was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer to the surprise of all my doctors. A mastectomy followed with 9 out of 17 lymph nodes involved followed by chemo and radiation.  I was very fortunate that the oncologist I go told me about a Clinical Research Study and recommended I participate. It was a Herceptin trial for women diagnosed with the marker Her2 Neu. I later found out that the Clinical Research Trial that I participated in was aborted early. The response to Herceptin was so good that they wanted to give it to all the participants rather than have some of them miss out on its benefits.

When I signed up for the trial I did not truly understand my diagnosis until I happened to watch the movie "Living Proof" on Lifetime Movie Network. I was stunned to learn that women like me with the marker Her2 Neu did not respond to the usual treatments for breast cancer. Prior to the development of Herceptin, a biological agent, this marker had been a death sentence. The movie detailed the extreme lengths Dr. Dennis Slamon and crew went to in order to research and develop Herceptin. They had to constantly beg for money pushing beyond all naysayers and obstacles in their way.  It hit me that I was one of the women that he was fighting for and without this research I would not be alive today. 

I now have chronic, stable lymphedema and need to wear an elastic garment glove/sleeve 24 hours. It is a small price to pay for my life. My grand nephews and nieces used to avoid holding that hand but now they are as used to it as I am.  I thank God for the caring and persistence of a doctor who did not give up. I owe him my life and there are no words to thank him for that. I also thank his family for the time they could not spend with him while he was so dedicated to this research goal.  Yes, we can one day cure breast cancer with more people like Dr. Slamon onboard AND funding for cancer research.