[Mary Jo]

Nice to hear from you all and I'm so happy you are all doing well too! I will be 16 years out this June and in all honestly, it hardly feels like cancer was ever a part of my life. I'm not sure why, but it seems like it happened to someone else and not me. Do any of you feel that way? I was 45 when I was diagnosed and am now 61. Me and my husband are now grandparents to 5, ages, 20 down to 3. I will be working one more school year as a secretary at the school I work at and then I am retiring. Life sure has a way of moving along and quickly at that.

Life has been good to me and God has been (and is) good always. Breast cancer was something that definitely changed me and changed me for the better. I learned to appreciate life and to appreciate it daily, because as each of us knows, it can change in a blink of an eye. I learned what was truly most important and I learned to say and do the things you want to say and do right now, because once again, our life can change in a blink of an eye.

I'd love to hear about how these years have been for each of you? For those who are in the midst of the struggle, please know, my prayers are with you and I when I think back, I can remember well all that you are going through.

God Bless each of you....my fellow sisters on the journey.