Cancer sucks, but the first syllable in Cancer is CAN, it can be beat.

My name is Cece Sisneros, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2009.  Like many women I randomly did self-breast exams, in one of those rare times I felt something that was different than anything I had ever felt before. At that moment my stomach sank, how could it be cancer?  I was 31 years old with 2 young daughters and no family history of breast cancer, I honestly didn’t believe it would be cancer.

I made an appointment with my nurse practitioner the next day. Her first comment to me was that statistically there is no way it should be cancer. However, after the ultrasound followed by the biopsy, I got the news that I had not prepared myself for—it was cancer. I didn’t know how to feel; it was all so surreal. My family was calling me, and I kept reassuring them I was fine. I didn’t know how to explain my feeling of helplessness. What scared me the most was the un-known.

Because I caught it in the early stages, my oncologist (who I love) thought all I would need was a lumpectomy. She recommended a surgeon who agreed, but before he took out the tumor he wanted to do an MRI to see how much to take out. This is one of many things that saved my life. The MRI results showed another tumor, one that was deeper and bigger than the one that I found.

So, now I had two tumors and a new decision to make. They said that I would have to have a mastectomy on the right side, and it was up to me if I wanted the left one removed as well. Since the chances of it returning to the left side were high, I couldn’t imagine ever going through this again, so I decided to go forward with the double mastectomy. Once I felt like I knew everything that was going on, and I had some type of control of my body, I started to feel better. I went into the surgery with a smile on my face. It was the day I would become a survivor.

They took 15 lymph nodes out, all of which were clear. I have been cancer free since May 28, 2009. I am currently in remission and feel great.  A self-breast exam gave me the opportunity to fight it in the early stages and although there is always the chance of the cancer returning I do my best to take all precautions for it not to, such as exercise, eating right and take any supplements my Doctors suggest and most importantly, a good attitude!