Yolanda

All my life, I didn't know what cancer was. I never saw it, and I never heard about it. I just knew it was death. So I was very worried when I started feeling pains in my chest in September of 2001. The doctor examined me and didn't find anything. I felt at peace because I'd had an exam.

Three months later, I found a lump in my breast, and returned to the doctor. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in December of 2001, at age 58. They performed a lumpectomy, and I struggled through chemotherapy and radiation.

While I was in the hospital, my doctors and nurses told me about the Breast and Cervical Health Program (BCHP), which covered my treatment. They didn't say "Go home to Chile," when they heard I had cancer. They helped me. And I'm so grateful for their help.

I'm now cancer-free. But I fear that my story would have a very different ending if I'd been diagnosed with breast cancer in Chile. My husband didn't make enough money to pay for what I needed, and if you don't have money, you don't get as much help. I was only here for one year before the cancer developed. I feel very blessed.

When I think about other women struggling with cancer like I did, I want to tell them to be courageous and have a lot of faith in God. The outpouring of support from my family, congregation, and the Latina community helped me get through it. And I tell all the women I meet how important it is to do regular breast exams because it can save your life. It is powerful for women to know they can survive.