Tameka Johnson

Introduction

At the age of 13, I was diagnosed with Osteosarchoma, a form of bone cancer. At that time, I underwent a total knee replacement and 1 year of chemotherapy. Before my last diagnosis, I had been in remission for almost 20 years. In May 2013, something just didn't seem right. I felt a large lump on my breast and it was sore. Due to my previous experience with cancer…any little thing prompted me to schedule a doctor’s visit. I guess that’s a good thing because when I had the mammogram they identified a large mass on my left breast. I was about to have surgery to remove fibroids that same month, the doctors just took the opportunity to do a breast biopsy.

At the age of 31, I was diagnosed with DCIS, and started my 2nd battle with cancer. I was devastated! When I received my diagnosis, I remember just saying, “No, not again”. I cried and I prayed, I even questioned God by asking him, “Why”…” Why did I have to go through this AGAIN”? Initially they thought that it was not invasive but after further test it was discovered that 2 inches of the mass was outside of the duct, which now made it invasive. Three weeks after my diagnosis, June 10, 2013, I had a bilateral mastectomy and in July of 2013, I started chemo. Making the decision to have the mastectomy was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make and one of the hardest procedures I have ever had to go through. I had to have chemo twice a month for 4 months. It felt like the longest 4 months of my life! Losing my hair all over again, losing my taste, and having to be stuck in my chest to receive the chemotherapy brought back old memories and made me depressed. Some days I felt like I didn’t want to do it anymore but I knew I had to, not for me but for my daughter! In May of 2014, I completed my breast reconstruction. I am officially in remission and cancer free!

Going through chemo and having a bilateral mastectomy was hard. Some days I felt like I could not do it anymore BUT GOD…God sent me strength in the form of my praying family and friends. They were and are my rocks! Where I am weak God showed me he was strong. I continued to have faith and sometimes it was as small as a mustard seed but God’s word says that is all we need. I trusted him to get me through and knew that no matter how bad or how weak I felt he was holding my right hand and covering me with his grace.

My Life Now as a Breast Cancer Survivor

My experience with cancer has taught me a lot about life and has allowed me to meet great people along the way. So, my goal is to advocate, educate, mentor, and support those fighting childhood or breast cancer. I started a blog www.asurvivorsstory.weebly.com to allow for breast and childhood cancer survivors and fighters to share their story. I want us to show the world that we

were not meant to break no matter what life throws our way!

"I fought hard to become the woman I am. By the grace of God cancer didn't break me; it ignited a fire in me!"

Tameka