BERTHA & PAULETTE'S STORY - Paulette Lane and Bertha Brooks are sisters and breast cancer survivors. With Paulette celebrating seventeen years of survivorship and Bertha celebrating thirteen, these two beautiful women are strong and determined, with a story to tell.

Cancer is not uncommon in Paulette and Bertha's family. Their father died at thirty-nine from throat cancer. Their mother died of colon cancer at sixty-two. However, neither of these cancers was linked to breast cancer when Paulette was diagnosed in 1992.

Mammograms, self-exams, and gynecological visits all failed to detect any abnormalities in the breasts of both sisters. They are among the growing number of women whose cancer goes undetected with the technology that is commonly utilized to identify a suspicious mass in the breast. Unfortunately, most of the women in this category do not survive.

Paulette attributes her survival to her surgeon who had the experience and knowledge to determine that he had to operate and remove the tumor despite the negative report from the needle biopsy he had performed. He suggested that she have a biopsy done and, if it came back positive, then they would discuss her options. It did–and they discovered that the tumor was malignant and, because of the size, it was considered aggressive. A mastectomy was the only choice in which her surgeon was certain he would get the entire tumor. He performed the mastectomy and recommended that she follow up with a radiologist and an oncologist. The radiologist determined that her margins were clear and could forego radiation, but the oncologist recommended six months of chemotherapy due to the aggressive nature of the tumor. Breast reconstruction followed the chemotherapy. Seventeen years later, Paulette states that, even though chemotherapy was a difficult challenge with many distractions from quality of life, she would do it again, if necessary. She strongly believes it was her faith in her God that gave her team of physicians the power to cure her. Her wish to all who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, is that they have the wisdom to seek out and trust a medical team. Her advice is to know your body and always be an advocate for yourself.

Bertha attributes her survival to herself. It was her intuition that prompted her to have a mastectomy. She was frustrated with the pain and the multiple procedures, including two negative lumpectomies, a mammogram, an ultrasound, and several tests unrelated to breast cancer…no sign of breast cancer. When symptoms forced her back to the doctor yet again and a third lumpectomy was suggested, Bertha decided to take control of her own destiny. On the eve of her surgery, she and her husband sat and discussed all of her options and jointly agreed that a mastectomy would be the only choice given her persistent pain and strong desire for peace of mind. Her surgeon was reluctant to perform a mastectomy, but Bertha was adamant and insisted that there was something very wrong with her right breast and she was willing to live without it. Little did Bertha know that she would hear shocking news that would alter her life forever at her post-op meeting. Her surgeon's opening line was, "I have good news and bad news." He went on to state that she was a person who really knew her own body and, because of this, she saved her own life. She indeed had breast cancer and, had they not taken the breast, she almost certainly would have died from the disease. It was recommended that she follow-up with an oncologist and radiologist for therapy. However, she made a decision to opt out of any and all therapy. Thirteen years ago, Bertha saved her own life and has no regrets for any of the choices she made. She believes her faith in God carried her during her darkest moments. Bertha is also a strong supporter of self-advocacy. If you know something is wrong with your breast, don't let a positive mammogram satisfy what you are experiencing. Insist on further testing until you exhaust all of your options.

Paulette and Bertha want to thank their family and friends for their support. In addition, they would like to thank all of the people they will never personally meet, yet have contributed to their survival. They are endlessly grateful to the millions who participate each year in Race for the Cure events around the country–events that highlight the survivors of this deadly disease, promote hope, encourage breast cancer awareness and raise funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Lastly, they want to thank the family of Susan G. Komen for sharing their vision and keeping their promise to find a cure for breast cancer.