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Ruth Diefenbacher (from Kitchener, Ontario)
submitted by Marilyn Rushton

On August 21, 2000 I was diagnosed with cancer of the left breast, and was fortunate in being book for surgery that same week. I had a partial mastectomy on August 24th (the day after my birthday). I was sent for a bone scan and a chest x-ray, and good a good report in both cases.

It was a real disappoint to learn from my surgeon that the margins needed to be improved, and consequently, I needed a second operation on October 12, 2000. Following that surgery, it was also disappointing to learn that one lymph node was cancerous, and therefore, more aggressive therapy would be required. It seemed like one disappointment after another.

Then the good news started to happen. In order to get radiation therapy reasonably soon, I was offered the opportunity of going to the Roswell Park Cancer Centre in Buffalo, New York. My husband joined me, and we went to Buffalo each week for seven weeks, coming home on weekends. I started on December 7th and finished on January 16th, 2001. I experienced minimal discomfort from the treatments, and I enjoyed my experience in Buffalo. I am ever so grateful that I was given that option, as opposed to a long wait to have the treatments here in Ontario.

Presently, I am being monitored every 3 months by an amazing oncologist, and she tells me I am doing extremely well. I have been on Tamoxifin for 1 year and will continue for four more years. I have had minimal side effects so far from the drug. I feel very blessed: (1) that I was diagnosed so promptly (2) that I had an excellent surgeon who made sure he removed all the cancer (3) that I am being monitored closely and (4) that I feel pretty much back to normal.

The best blessing of all is that I developed cancer at a time when research has deemed that it is equally effective to have a partial mastectomy, instead of a complete in most cases. As a nurse I had been exposed to many women having "radical" mastectomies, and the complications, both physically and mentally are significant. I am grateful to the women who have preceded me, and who have provided the basis for making it possible to have a less invasive procedure now.

I am immensely grateful to the many volunteers who work relentlessly to raise money for research. God bless you, Jeff, on your Coast to Coast Ride.