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Pink lights illuminate the walkway leading to the entrance gate of Traci DeWeese where a rose wreath is located. Priceville's 45-year-old wife – known for her caring and generous spirit – set up the lights one week after undergoing her first chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.
"I've never been a rosy person I'm a fan of pink now, though," DeWeese said, pointing to pink paints, a pink collar and a gray blanket with a pink lettering. "One of my friends even gave me a pink cape of superheroes.Cancer will not be what will make me.I am stronger than that.Yes, I am a survivor, but I am also a warrior. fighter. "
For DeWeese, this fight began in May, when she became one of the 266,120 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the United States this year. One in eight women will develop breast cancer, a disease that kills more than 40,000 people each year.
"Everyone has been touched by breast cancer.It's about your mother, your sister, your wife, your daughter, your best friend, your colleague, all the world knows someone, "DeWeese said.
In October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, splashes of roses will appear on football fields, grocery store aisles and parade walkways, while sports teams, businesses, churches, fashion houses First responders and hospitals educate people about the disease.
In northern Alabama, groups have organized painting parties on bra, art auctions, fashion shows, marches and bunco parties. Lee Lott's Power of Pink Walk and the Power of Pink Luncheon and the fashion show are two of the most popular events, attracting 2,000 people and raising $ 100,000.
"These events concern as much the celebration of life as the awareness and funding, we are here to celebrate the survivors and remember those we have lost," said Noel Lovelace, president of the hospital foundation Decatur Morgan, who organizes the route for October 14 and the fashion show scheduled for October 23.
The proceeds from these two events will benefit breast health and breast cancer services at the hospital, including providing free and discounted mammograms to women in need.
"The money should not be a problem if someone gets a mammogram or not," Lovelace said.
DeWeese, who saw her mother fighting breast cancer in 2012, understands the importance of mammograms very well.
"I've been religious for years, the last one was in November, and they all came back healthy," DeWeese said.
But at the beginning of May, three months after undergoing a gastric sleeve surgery and losing 45 pounds, DeWeese felt a soft-knot-sized bow under her right arm. Maybe she contracted a muscle while working, she told herself When the knot did not clear, she made an appointment with her doctor, who performed a mammogram and an ultrasound and directed him to Dr. Randy Buckner.
Two biopsies revealed the presence of breast cancer.
"It was a Tuesday morning at 7 am I was asleep and my phone was vibrating, I do not even know how I heard it," DeWeese said. "He said," Traci, it's Dr. Buckner, can you talk? " I said, "Of course." He said, "You have breast cancer." I did not think it would be cancer. Cancer was the furthest thing from my mind. "
Amy Sherrill woke up this Tuesday morning with DeWeese, her close cousin and friend, in the lead. She dialed the DeWeese number and heard the news.
"It was a hard day, it took her a few hours, but after that she had a warlike attitude, she will never let that beat her, she is one of the strongest people I know," she said. Sherrill.
Three days after hearing the words "You have breast cancer," DeWeese sits in the office of Dr. Sammy Becdach, the same oncologist who treated his mother. She underwent a PET-scan, a MUGA, and an MRI, which revealed two spots in her right breast – a cancerous, a no – that did not manifest during a mammogram.
On June 6, she started aggressive chemotherapy.
"They call the drug the Red Devil, I've had nausea and neuropathy.I'm painful and tired most of the time, but I can pretend to be good.This is nothing that I can not handle, "said DeWeese.
After his second out of four sessions with the Red Devil, DeWeese's hair began to fall in clumps. She made an appointment with her stylist, Julie Burleson, to shave her hair – which she considered her essential feature -.
"I've always had a lot of long, thick hair, but there are not many things I can control now and I can control how and when I lost my hair." I cried twice, but it gave me power, "DeWeese told me.
Instead of wearing a wig, she decided to kiss her bald head.
"I've been rocking him ever since, my close friends said," Your hair does not define you, you define yourself. "It means so much to me," DeWeese said. "Some strangers came up to me and said," You are so beautiful. "A lady driving at McDonald's & # 39; s said it the other day. It spent my whole day."
She called these comments "small blessings".
Since her diagnosis, DeWeese has known every day of "little blessings": from a neighbor who was mowing his lawn to the wooden cross that a nurse had given him the first day of treatment. There are the pink and white pom-poms of her neighbor's daughter, the hand-made rosary beads handmade by his friend's mother, and the photos that a photographer has taken of DeWeese and his best friends before She does not lose her hair. She writes each act of kindness in a pink notebook.
"I feel chills when I think of the outpouring of love and sincere support that I have received.Every person on this list has made me stronger and changed my life. "said DeWeese.
Blessings include a pink cover with "911 on my back" in pink letters, a Decatur Fire & Rescue Hat "Cancer Fighter" and a 911 Morgan County artifact basket, where DeWeese works as a supervisor.
"I could retire, but I do not intend to do it, I'm going back, it will not be what I'm going to do, I'm stronger than that. moment, but it's just kicking cancer, "DeWeese said.
After five other weekly chemotherapy sessions, DeWeese will undergo another MRI to determine if she will need additional treatment. In the absence of cancerous activity, she will undergo a double mastectomy and a reconstruction.
DeWeese's mother, who had a left breast mastectomy in 2012, is fighting breast cancer again. She will begin her chemotherapy treatments this month.
"My mother waited to tell me that her cancer was back until my plan was established. I told him: "Next time, instead of having breast cancer together, let's go on a trip." Once I found hers, I started to tell everyone. She is rather a private person and was a bit hesitant at first, but she is accepting now. .
Both Falkville Police Services and Decatur Fire & Rescue are selling t-shirts to raise funds for DeWeese. Other events planned to honor DeWeese include a Cookin 'for a Cure in Memory of Peggy McCulloch at the Smokehouse BBQ in Priceville on October 14 at 2:30 pm. and Barbells for Breasts at Golden Ape CrossFit in Decatur on October 20th at 9am.
"I believe in God, I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that things are happening for a reason.The only reason I found the hump, is because I 'm sure. I was operated on.It was an affair of God.I really believe that there is a fight against cancer.This may be so that I can share my story and encourage myself to Other women to be controlled.If they are scared, I'll go with them.You're not alone, "said DeWeese.
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