Breast Cancer Survivor

I was diagnosed with stage one estrogen receptive breast cancer in November of 2009. I was very lucky because it was picked up on my annual mammogram and it was so small. I am a large breasted woman and I would have never felt this lump until it had progressed much further. I had fantastic doctors all the way around and I received the best treatment. The cancer was detected so early I did not even need chemo, thanks to a recent development, I was offered an Onco typing test that determined I would not benefit from chemo. I had a lumpectomy followed by six weeks of radiation, that was not easy but compared to the alternative it was a walk in the park. My breast healed beautifully, I am so pleased with the results. I used alot of neosporin cream and the scar is barely visible just over a year later. I had my first mammogram is September and I am cancer free, I am blessed. I am 50 years old and the single mother of two girls 14 and 10, I plan to stick around for a long time and never miss a mammogram. I never missed one since I turned 40 and boy am I glad, the stats say more than 50% of woman over age 40 do not get an annual mammogram, that is just crazy! You can save yourself so much grief and possibly save your life, isn't a few minutes of discomfort worth it? The answer needs to be hands down YES! I shudder to think what my outcome would have been if I had missed my mammogram and gone a year later, even though it was stage one it was growing agressively and had already entered my surrounding breast tissue. I am lucky for sure but remember you have to take charge by getting the proper diagnostic tests.