My grandmother battled breast cancer for the majority of my childhood. She lost that battle when I was 12 and it was one of the most devastating things that have ever happened to my family. I still can’t forget what it was like when it went to visit her towards the end. By then the cancer had spread to her throat and her brain and she barely had any idea what was going on or who anyone was. She just wasn’t the same person anymore.

A few years later my aunt found out that she too had breast cancer. However, luckily her experience was much different. Having seen what my grandmother went through, she was very aggressive with her treatment and how she’s a survivor. She feels and looks great.

I think we’ve come a long way with breast cancer treatment. Not everyone is going to beat it but our chances are better now than ever before. It’s just so unbelievably important for women to stay on top of their mammograms so that they can deal with breast cancer proactively instead of reactively. The earlier you can catch it the better!