Where to begin... I moved back to my hometown Greenwood, SC just over 17 years ago. Soon after returning my maternal grandmother had to undergo a mastectomy. Now she was in her 80's when that happened and guess what? She is still here today. She says she was 100 years old last year but the census says she will be 100 years old April 7, 2011. She is something else. We call her "The Law" because what she says goes and she says whatever is on her mind. Her mother died when she was a young girl and she raised her siblings, her children and some of her grands. There are 5 generations living in that line. Grandma Carrie>>my mom, Doris>>my brother, Adrian>> his son, Andre and his daughter, Keisha>>Andre's daughter, Autumn and Keisha's daughters, Zakiyah and Zaniyah. She also has another great-great granddaughter, Miya. She has one deceased great-great grandson, Nasir. My grandmother is an inspiration to me every day of my life. She has lived through and seen so much. She has lived through things we studied in history. It's amazing and a blessing to each of us who know and love her. Some would say that being diagnosed in her 80's "at least she's had a full life" but she is living proof that you're never to old to fight and with early detection there is no preset limit on what point is considered a full life or how much you have left. These almost 15 additional years she's experienced since her surgery have been very full and if you listen to her she will tell you she's blessed. On the flip side I have a paternal aunt in particular who is in the hospital now battling for her life. She is the youngest of 16 children, 1 of 3 girls and only 2 years older than me. She was originally diagnosed with breast cancer, had a mastectomy and treatments. It was a long road but she eventually got better and started receiving good reports. Then after a family vacation celebrating her good health she noticed a welt-like rash as if she'd been bitten by an insect. She and her doctors thought that's what it was. The rash however didn't go away, it got worse. It hardened and the doctor tested it. It was a different kind of cancer, a kind they advise not operating on. Additionally they found cancer in or around her spine and her in her pelvic area. That was July 2010. Now it's October 2010. She was hospitalized October 4th. October 5th we were informed that she also has cancer in her throat and brain. We just lost a dear close friend of my daughters (16 years old) last month to a rare form of cancer and now were facing it hitting us even closer home again so soon. My father is second oldest of 16 and has seen four of his younger siblings pass away- 1 sister who died as a child and 3 brothers from cancer). Everyone calls my aunt "Tiny" because not only is she the youngest but she's the smallest. Probably the only one who didn't reach 6 feet. She got my grandmother's physical attributes like height and build. She found a lump in her breast but was afraid to go to the doctor. She was afraid of the possibility of bad news especially having lost 3 brothers to cancer. So she didn't go. Time passed and I believe she found a second one and then decided she had to go to the doctor. I forget what stage the cancer was in at that point but it was far enough that it would be an aggressive battle. She says she went the period of wondering why her but she got past that. She said she hopes at least one person learns from her that no matter how afraid you are of finding something you must perform self examinations. That no matter how afraid you are of possibly having cancer you must go to the doctor if you find something. That no matter how afraid you are it is possible to win and you increase those chances with early diagnosis and treatment. She said if one person learns that from her situation then she understands why this was the path her God chose for her. I can tell you that I am at least one person who if I didn't already know those things, I do now. She is indeed an inspiration to me also.