How bad health news can lead to good work."Are you sitting down?" was all he said. The surgeon was so stunned by the test results that he didn't realize I was standing behind him as he lowered himself into his desk chair to deliver the bad news. And so began the journey that took me from the most frightening of places to some of the best and most positive places in my life. Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be very lonely. You do learn a lot about yourself under these circumstances. I discovered an inner strength I didn't know I had. Surviving breast cancer is just the opposite. I joined a support group (The Cancer Support Community in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden ) a few months after being diagnosed. I was skeptical at first since I did not want to be around whiners. I was fortunate enough to end up in a group of amazing women--powerful, successful, take-charge, "we're on a mission" women. Advocacy groups were just starting to form, following the lead of the AIDS groups in raising awareness Raising awareness is a common phrase advocacy groups use to justify a particular event, brochure or even the entire organization. Raising awareness refers to alerting the general public that a certain issue exists and should be approached the way the group desires. and money, and these women wanted to make a difference. One member established The Breast Cancer Fund, which focuses on the environmental causes of the disease. Through these women's inspiration, I became involved in various breast cancer activities and, as a result, met even more incredible women. I feel blessed every day that they came into my life. We have climbed mountains together--literally! The Breast Cancer Fund started a fundraising campaign in 1995 called "Climb Against the Odds" that sent a group of sixteen breast cancer survivors Cancer survivors are those individuals with cancer of any type, current or past, who are still living. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) pioneered the definition of survivor as from the time of diagnosis and for the balance of life, a person diagnosed with to Argentina to climb Mr. Aconcagua. Because of what those women accomplished, I followed in their tracks and climbed two mountains Two Mountains was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1917. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. as a personal challenge. From mountains I moved to footraces. After helping organize and participating in San Francisco's very first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, I now attend these events every year in various cities all around the country. Some I run in, others I work at, as the company where I work now, Mentor Corp., is a sponsor of both the Komen races and the Revlon Race for Women's Cancer. The San Francisco race actually celebrated its thirteenth anniversary this past year. We all are familiar with synchronicity--the choices we make and the paths they lead us down. After living and working in San Francisco for twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. , I relocated to Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. for a new job. That decision ultimately led me to what has become my life's work Life's Work is a sitcom that aired from 1996 to 1997 on the American Broadcasting Company channel that starred Lisa Ann Walter as Lisa Ann Minardi Hunter, the assistant district attorney who had a husband named Kevin Hunter . After that first job did not work out, I decided I wanted to do something completely different; I just didn't know what. During my job search, I saw job posting that mentioned working with breast cancer advocacy groups. In researching the company, Mentor Corp., I discovered that they make breast implants Breast Implants Definition Breast implantation is a surgical procedure for enlarging the breast. Breast-shaped sacks made of a silicone outer shell and filled with silicone gel or saline (salt water), called implants, are used. , something with which I am intimately familiar with due to my own post-mastectomy reconstruction process. I was really excited. Not only might I be able to use both my professional and volunteer experience, but also my personal experience--to help reach out to and educate other women. I sent in my resume and was called immediately for an interview. One does not usually talk about having had breast cancer in a job interview but it actually worked in my favor. Talk about something that was meant to be. The job was mine! Over three years later, I am managing the breast reconstruction Breast Reconstruction Definition Breast reconstruction is a series of surgical procedures performed to recreate a breast. Reconstructions are commonly done after one or both breasts are removed as a treatment for breast cancer. side of the business, working on educational and outreach programs that reach thousands of women, building a better product, and most importantly Adv. 1. most importantly - above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent" above all, most especially , doing something close to my heart. Being diagnosed with breast cancer went from a lonely, frightening experience to having the time of my life. My reward is that I can make a difference by sharing information and helping other women who find themselves in the same situation I was in. Right now, I'm working with the Santa Barbara Triathlon triathlon, athletic event made up of three contests. Since the 1970s the term has come to mean especially a race combining swimming, bicycling, and running. A notable example is Hawaii's Ironman Triathlon, held since 1978, which features a 2. , which will happen August 26-28. Through Mentor's sponsorship, the triathlon will be raising funds for the Breast Resource Center in Santa Barbara. At Mentor we have a magazine ad regarding breast reconstruction with the headline: "Believe that you have the power to take loss and make it something beautiful." That is exactly what I did. Andrea Fox is a breast cancer survivor who spends much of her time working with and educating other women regarding their options. She is also a product manager for Mentor Corporation's Breast Reconstruction division. |
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