Published: September 29, 2009 09:47 pm         

Personal story: Don't take anything or anyone for granted - by Mary Ann Oblander

On July 11, 2008, I received a call at work that changed my life forever. The voice on the other end was that of Dr. Debra Mitchell, radiologist at Breast Imaging of Oklahoma. She was calling to tell me I had breast cancer. I was totally shocked! This couldn't happen to me. I have no history of cancer in my family and the suspicious lump had been there a long time. Why now? Why me? I somehow managed to pull myself together during my lunch hour and was able to finish my day's work with my coworkers none the wiser.

The next several weeks were full of doctor appointments, tests and lab work. The final diagnosis was invasive mucinous carcinoma, stage one. Several doctors told me, "If you have cancer, this is the best kind to have." This calmed my fears to a certain extent, but I still was very scared. In the beginning, the hardest thing was telling my family, friends and coworkers. It was just so hard to believe. I was deeply touched by their care and concern. It was very emotional.

On Aug. 6, 2008, I had a lumpectomy. The lymph nodes tested negative, which means it hadn't spread. Dr. Shreck is a wonderful surgeon. He helped me believe things were going to be OK. In mid-September, I started six weeks of radiation treatments at Bass. Dr. Erba and the staff were great. The treatments went well, and I had no major side effects. I did not need chemo, thank God!

Now, one year later, I can say I'm truly blessed. I believe I have been cured and look forward to a long life ahead. I want to say to my family, friends, coworkers and church family — I am so grateful to have all of you in my life. Thank you for your love and support. You are a blessing to me. Most of all, I thank God for His love and healing power. I know it could have been so much worse. I have a deep compassion for those women whose struggles are much more difficult than mine. I say to them — hang in there, be good to yourself and don't take anything or anyone for granted. Put your faith and trust in God. He loves you and will not fail you.

Mary Ann Oblander