DOROTHY KEILLOR

I’m Dorothy and I am 56 years old.  I found my cancer quite by accident in July 2007.  I had regular mammograms and the occasional ultra sound since the age of 37.  At that time, I had a benign mass in the right breast.  My cancer was in the left breast.

After the initial shock of finding a lump, and having breast cancer confirmed, I started a journey that changed my life.  I was determined to not only survive cancer, but to win!  My friend, Lil, who is a cancer survivor, told me that it was a “blip on life’s path.”  To me, it was a catastrophe.

Lil attended all my appointments and counseled me on decisions that needed to be made.  Fortunately, as it was detected in the early stages, I had many options.  The technicians and doctors I saw were phenomenal.  They took the time to discuss the procedures and the choices available to me.

At the time my cancer was confirmed, I didn’t have a family doctor (my doctor of 40 years had retired Dec. 2006).  Fortunately for me, two technicians put me in touch with a family doctor who was willing to take me as a patient.  Within days, Dr. Annette Richard became my family doctor.

Over the past year, I’ve sat in numerous waiting rooms, heard and shared many stories with some marvelous women.  I learned from the experience, that we all need to stay strong and positive in our fight with breast cancer. My friend Lil was right, this was a blip.