Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Each year when October rolls around I straddle the emotional fence between feeling like a "Survivor" and feeling like I am pushing my luck. I have always worried that I would anger the "Cancer Gods" by being too smug and they would really let me have it. "So Salley...you dodged the last bullet, but watch out now", they would say. I was diagnosed with Stage 3a breast cancer in March 2002 at the age of 34. My treatment included 6 months of chemotherapy, 6 1/2 weeks of radiation, 7 surgeries, 5 years of hormonal medication therapy and every 3 month follow ups for 5 years. There was a time when breast cancer occupied my every waking moment. Now I am happy to say that I usually think about other things. I tell you......cancer has a way of knocking you flat on you back and helping you sort things out. I learned alot about myself by having cancer and I call that my silver lining. When someone told me that they would not change the fact they had had cancer I thought they were crazy. Now I understand. My family and friends have been my saving graces and I hope all Survivors are a lucky as I have been. Look......I just called myself a survivor and felt really good about it.