"Our Story ...a Shared Experience"
By Tom and Anna Morris

Tom:
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1952, I was only 27 yrs. old. Married with a small child, I was told I had only six months to live. I could not believe that my life would soon be over. I was blessed to .nd a great doctor. He performed a mastectomy, removing my breast and some lymph nodes. He made the incision under my arm and went in from the side, so I have little visible scarring. I was offered cobalt treatment, but after reading up on it, I declined. If I only had a short time to live, I didn’t want to feel bad from the side effects for whatever time I had. So, I went on with my life with some normalcy and also living it to the fullest. The doctor must have gotten all the cancer, because here I am 52 years later, still living to the fullest.

Anna:
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 1995. I had surgery, a total mastectomy of the right breast, and I was doing well, I thought, when in January 2002 , I had a recurrence in the left breast. I thought, “Why me?” I was devastated. The cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. I had surgery followed by chemotherapy, which made me very sick. But here we are, it’s 2004, and I am doing well. I feel I am truly a survivor. I focus on each day. and live it to the fullest.

Note from the editor:
Mr. and Mrs Morris, you will notice, “live life to the fullest.” Studies have shown that attitude plays a major role in recovery and longevity.