2019 Calendar Image

President’s Letter


Welcome to our 20th Anniversary Sisters’ Journey Breast Cancer Survivors’ Calendar.

For 20 years, Sisters’ Journey has been doing its part of “breaking the silence” – silence that refers to the cultural secrecy that exists in so many of our communities when someone is diagnosed with cancer and it was taboo to talk about. With this openness of communication that Sisters’ Journey has been able to unleash, we have been able to educate, empower and encourage women to be their own health advocates and to promote early detection screenings in hope of saving lives.

I recently asked a local breast surgeon about her insights on what changes she had seen in breast cancer treatments and care advancements over the last 20 years.
She replied:

  • Improved survival rates, so that women with Stage 0, Stage 1 or Stage 2 have 100% survival rates.
  • The availability of more detailed analysis of women with specific types of breast cancer that can yield a precise score to more accurately predict the chance of cancer recurrence and provide enhanced information as to whether the patient should have chemotherapy or not.
  • Twenty years ago, all women with invasive cancers had lymph node removal of up to 25 lymph nodes. Since 1999, women with the same disease can have as few as 1-5 sentinel lymph nodes removed with 96% accuracy of knowing if there are tumor cells in the nodes and a much lower risk of lymphedema.
  • More women now have the choice of lumpectomy rather than mastectomy because of cancer cells being found much earlier.

There is a long line of breast cancer in my family. My Great Aunt Natalie’s passing was my mother’s inspiration for the original calendar project. And my Great Great Aunt Vivienne’s longevity (she lived to be 104) and breast cancer survival gave her the honor of gracing the very first calendar cover (photo right). Knowing my family history has encouraged me to be more proactive about my own health.
In our quest for information, this calendar like the other 19 will not disappoint. With each passing year and with each story, we have learned something new, and we
are often surprised how different everyone’s breast cancer experience is. Every survivor demonstrates such admirable strength and courage as they take us through their cancer journey.

According to the American Cancer Society, cancer death rates (www.cancer.org) have dropped by more than 20%. That is amazing progress, but we still have more work to do.

We are so grateful for all of the love and support everyone has shown over the years, and hopefully, my mother’s legacy of being there for women diagnosed with breast cancer will carry over for generations to come.

Peace and Blessings,

President of Sisters’ Journey

  • Denise Patterson's Photo
    January

    In September 2015, I was diagnosed with Stage 2, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer after finding a lump in my left breast during self-examination. This diagnosis shocked me because I had a mammogram in March another in April because my breasts were throbbing due to my late night coffee drinking habit while writing college papers.

    View full story ›

  • Jeffie Frazier's Photo
    February

    My journey started one day as I was driving down Whitney Avenue in the summer of 2012. At the time, I hadn’t yet
    realized that cancer was already active in my body. But getting a mammogram was on my mind. My last mammogram
    was in 2010 and did not show any signs of cancer. I said to myself, “You have the time, why not go get one now?”

    View full story ›

  • Sandra G. Huggins's Photo
    March

    Greetings, I am Sandra G. Huggins of Hamden, CT by way of Nevis, West Indies. I am a SURVIVOR:

    View full story ›

  • Rosalind Rogers's Photo
    April

    My name is Rosalind J. Rogers and I am a 78-year-old native of New Haven, Connecticut. I am a twin. I come from a large family (21 siblings, including three sets of twins) and I have four living children. I am also a 6-year breast cancer
    survivor.

    View full story ›

  • Carol Huckaby's Photo
    May

    The hand and power of God is remarkable!!! In February 2011, three remarkable events took place in my life. First, I went to my primary care doctor and she asked if I had my annual mammogram that was due in October 2010. I told her no, but I would schedule it later in the month. She told me …

    View full story ›

  • Sherdena Foreman's Photo
    June

    My name is Sherdena P. Foreman, a two-time cancer survivor. I was born June 4, 1943 in Danville, Virginia to the late Garland and Minister Hattie Gunn Poole. As I was the 15th child out of 15,

    View full story ›

  • Andrea Austin – Thompson's Photo
    July

    From a post cancer perspective, writing a synopsis of one’s actual cancer journey can most definitely be cathartic but at the same time not easy at all. In retrospect, I didn’t have time to feel sorry for myself. Was I frightened?…

    View full story ›

  • Karen-Barrow's Photo
    August

    Hello. My name is Karen Barrow, but everyone calls me “Kat.” I was 48 years old when I was diagnosed on August 5, 2011 with Stage 2 Breast Cancer. I had always gone for regular mammograms,

    View full story ›

  • Jennifer Marshall-Nealy's Photo
    September

    If there is anything from my personal journey that I would share with anyone who is catapulted into your own uncharted world of cancer, it would

    View full story ›

  • Denise Goggins Dyson's Photo
    October

    I am a metastatic breast cancer conqueror!!…

    View full story ›

  • Celeste Hite's Photo
    November

    Life will test you… and you’ll never know in which form it will show up.

    View full story ›

  • Loretta Woltz's Photo
    December

    “God is so good and I have to trust him.” “God always has my back.” These are the reassurances that helped me get through my hiccup.

    View full story ›