What happened, in summary

Martha was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer more than a decade ago after the cancer was found during a health examination. She had no symptoms and no family history of breast cancer, so the diagnosis was unexpected. She sought a second opinion while deciding how to proceed.

Her doctor initially recommended mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy. Martha chose lumpectomy instead of mastectomy, then completed chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. Treatment caused hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. She responded by exercising more often and improving her daily nutrition.

Martha said she completed treatment and was declared cancer-free. At the time of her story, 14 years had passed since treatment. The experience led to lasting changes in exercise and diet and strengthened her appreciation for life and family.

Cancer did not prevent Martha from maintaining close relationships. She visited her parents more often, remained intimate with her partner, and took more trips with her children. Looking ahead, she hoped to travel to Canada and explore the world with her family. She described herself as happy, relieved, motivated, hopeful, and thankful after making her treatment decisions and moving through recovery.