Diana Pulido’s Cancer Journey
I made it 49 years without a single surgery. Then it all changed. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer, ductal
carcinoma.
My journey began October 2009 with a routine yearly mammogram. I had begun getting
mammograms at age 40. There was no family history, except this time the mammogram was different.
My vocabulary expanded to words I never thought I would use:
diagnosis ~ cancer ~ oncologist ~ chemotherapy ~ radiation ~ hair loss~ wigs ~ head wraps
ultrasound ~ needle biopsy ~ surgery ~ mediport ~ cold gloves ~ fatigue ~ tamoxifen ~
anastrozole general surgeon ~ MRI ~ ductal carcinoma ~ radiologist ~ markers ~ lymph nodes
~ tumor ~ bald scars ~ tattoos ~ lumpectomy ~ suspicious findings ~ neulasta ~ chemo brain~ pet scan ~ margins
I went through four rounds of chemotherapy, eight weeks of radiation, three surgeries and ten years of hormone therapy.
These are words and phrases that got me through my journey:
Faith ~ positive thinking ~ family ~ friends ~ medical team ~ she believed she could so she did ~ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me ~ through his stripes I am healed
I chose to have a good attitude and focus on a positive outcome. Everything is a process. You have to be your own advocate and do everything you can to move yourself forward. Through all of this I came to realize my strength. I am happy to say I am now 11 years cancer free, a ThriveWell Diva who works for ThriveWell and THRIVING!!!