Ann and Elizabeth
Left to right: Ann and Elizabeth
By Ann, a Sister Study participant from Ohio
I’ll never forget the day my sister told me her mammogram showed something suspicious. She was frightened and overcome with worry. Her biopsy confirmed our fears, and a lumpectomy was performed.
They didn’t get it all, so she faced a radical operation. Her battle with breast cancer is over, we hope, as it has not returned in more than 10 years. She is still vigilant in getting checkups and that old worry creeps into her mind every time she goes to see the oncologist, now once a year.
Several years later, I developed ovarian cancer, which is another whole story. I, too, am in remission, after surgery and chemotherapy, and am grateful every day for my health. But my sister and I could only wonder where our cancer came from. There was no family history of any cancer, as far as we could tell.
When I heard about the Sister Study, I felt a strong desire to participate. It was one way I could honor my sister and millions of others who have survived, or not survived, this disease. I urge any woman who is eligible to join. It’s easy and satisfying to know you are doing something to battle a disease that touches so many.