IT'S ESTIMATED THAT EVERY
TWO MINUTES, THERE IS A NEW
BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS.
TONIGHT, IN MY SERIES
"CELEBRATING SURVIVORS" I
INTRODUCE YOU TO A TWO-TIME
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR WHO
SAYS SHARING IS CARING... AND
PROVIDES HEALING.
"I'LL SEE PEOPLE NOW AND
THEY'LL SAY, 'OH, YOU'VE CUT
YOUR HAIR' AND I'LL SAY, 'NO,
I HAD CANCER.'"TALKING COMES
NATURALLY FOR LETITIA LEE.JUST
LISTEN TO WHERE SHE PICKED UP
HER NICKNAME, TISH... "I
EARNED THAT NICKNAME AT THE
TELEPHONE COMPANY. I WORKED
THERE MANY YEARS."YOU CAN ALSO
CALL HER A SURVIVOR - BEATING
BREAST CANCER TWICE."THE FIRST
TIME I HAD BREAST CANCER I WAS
64 YEARS OLD. I'M 71, AND THIS
HAPPENED TO ME IN NOVEMBER
WHEN I WAS 70. SO, IT CAN
HAPPEN TO YOUNG PEOPLE, OLDER
PEOPLE. I THINK THE KEY IS
STAYING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR
DOCTOR AND HAVING YOUR YEARLY
MAMMOGRAM."LIKE TISH DID AT
GOOD SAMARATIN HOSPITAL'S
BREAST CENTER, AND CAUGHT THE
DISEASE EARLY.MOST RECENTLY
SHE UNDERWENT A MASECTOMY, OR
HAD HER AFFECTED BREAST
REMOVED.SHE NOW WEARS A
PROSTHESIS..."IT'S A LITTLE
RUBBER GADGET THAT FITS INTO A
SPECIAL BRA."SHE SAYS IT TOOK
SOME GETTING USED TO, BUT FOR
HER, TALKING ABOUT IT HAS BEEN
HELPFUL."YOU KNOW, PART OF THE
PROBLEM I THINK IS THAT PEOPLE
DON'T SHARE WHAT THEY GO
THROUGH. AND IN TALKING ABOUT
MY SITUATION, I WENT TO CHURCH
AND TOLD ALL MY FRIENDS THAT I
HAD BREAST CANCER AGAIN AND I
NEED YOU TO PRAY FOR ME, AND I
DISCOVERED THERE WERE MANY
MEMBERS WHO HAD ALSO GONE
THROUGH THE SAME THING AND I
NEVER KNEW IT! THEY TOLD ME
HOW THEY HAD A PROSTHESIS, AND
SOMETIMES THEY HAD A DOUBLE
MASECTOMY, OR I HAD THIS 30
YEARS AGO. SO THE MORE YOU
TALK ABOUT IT, THE MORE YOU
FIND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROUGH
THE SAME SITUATION AND IT'S
HELPFUL. PEOPLE HAVE TO SHARE
THAT. WOMEN HAVE TO TALK ABOUT
IT. I MEAN, I DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING BAD TO GET BREAST
CANCER,AND I'M HERE AND I'M
HAPPY TO BE HERE."
TOMMOROW NIGHT, I'LL HAVE
THE STORY OF A YOUNG MOTHER
DIAGNOSED IN HER THIRTIES...
WHO HAS TURNED TO TECHNOLOGY
TO SHARE HER STORY AND HELP
OTHERS DEALING WITH THE
DISEASE.
