Your Pink Dish! Stories

Every Pink Dish! Story is a meaningful tribute to those whose lives have been touched and changed by breast cancer – and a powerful example of how sharing experiences can increase awareness and save lives.

We hope you’ll take a moment to read our Pink Dish! stories and those shared below.

If you have an experience you’d like to share, please add a Pink Dish! story as well. For every Pink Dish! Story we receive, Let’s Dish! will donate $5.00 to the Pink Dish! Campaign.

If you’d like to share a story with us, but would not like it posted on this website, please email your story to pinkdish@letsdish.net

My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer, after having a full hysterectomy the summer before as a result of uterine cancer,
Cancer is not for the feeble of heart. The treatments are painful, compromise one's immune system and make people dangerously susceptible to infection.
4 weeks ago Mum went into the hospital complaining of shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. 4 weeks later she is still in the hospital and we are glad she is alive.
Mum coded once last week, was intubated twice and now is trying desperately to get off the respirator. She contracted pnemonia and staph infection. My father, Mum and I are all we have as a family. We have spent most nights at the hospital and while the food is bearable, it causes the occasional diarrhea most of the time. I have invited my father over to eat, but my cooking is less than perfect, and with myself being a vegetarian, and my father a diabetic, finding something we both like and can eat is hard. I had nominated my mother before Thanksgiving hoping that she would be sponsored for a meal, but then she was in the hospital and we spent Thanksgiving with neighbors who graciously opened their house up to us and it slipped my mind.
We have spent countless nights by my mother's bedside praying with her and praying she will recover. While her story may not have touched hundreds, she is an inspiration to my father and I. My mother took care of my grandmother until she died in 2005 and was her nurse and caregiver. She never complained of her task and has always been positive and upbeat, despite a cancer diagnosis twice within 11 months.
While your plates have been given away I suppose, I do ask for your prayers for my mother, Priscilla Lowe. She is our angel and as we are not celebrating Christmas this year without her, we ask God for a Christmas miracle that she will be able to come home and be well.
thank you for your space to post my mother's story.

—Linda Morales (Glen Burnie)

susan is an elementary school teacher at little river elementary school in south riding, va. she is battling metatastic CA and will be receiving chemo for possibly the rest of her life. yet, she continues teaching and educating her class., coming into work each day with new promise and energy. she is highly though of and respected by her present students, as well as, her past ones.

—susan marriman (ashburn)

Dishes in ashburn

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2007. At the time, my husband Joe was battling leukemia, so we really felt like we'd gotten slammed! In spite of his own illness my husband was so supportive. Since he'd already been through lots of chemo he was able to prepare me for the side effects--how I might feel physically and emotionally, the hair loss etc. I felt really blessed that even though I had to go through surgery, chemo and radiation, I was able to have a lumpectomy, and my cancer was node negative! When my office mates asked what they could do to help out, the first thing I mentioned (aside from keeping us in their prayers), was a gift certificate to Let's Dish! On the advice of a good friend, I had started to "dish" after my husband was diagnosed in November of 2006. I loved it! The meals were easy to prepare, tasted like homemade, and were so much fun to do with my grown daughter or a friend. It's been a little over a year since my diagnosis. My freezer always has something good from Let's Dish, and I'm already planning on another trip with a friend tomorrow! We like to split meals so we can take home a greater variety of dishes. The half recipes also work well for me since I'm usually cooking for just one these days (Joe died in May of 2008) unless my grown kids are home or I have a friend over for dinner. Let's Dish has been a life saver for me and my family!

—Annie Schaffner (Vienna, Virginia)

Dishes in Fairfax

My mother, Betty Jo, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. My mom is and continues to be the pillar of strength in our family. When she first shared the news with the family, our first thoughts were of fear that this terrible disease was going to take her away from us. I look back now and realize how strong and positive she stayed. After the shock wore off, she never looked back. She proceeded to have a mastectomy and chemotherapy. I remember that the hospital sent her home the very next day with drains; it was so wrong! The chemo treatments were difficult for her, but It was amazing that she never lost her hair. She is so incredibly brave and is an inspiration to everyone. I love her so much and thank God that she is still here to be with us...a breast cancer survivor! When I told her that I was having difficulties talking about this or writing about her ordeal (it still brings up those emotions), she asked me why...she said to me, this is not something to keep quiet about....celebrate the cure and share with everyone that can be inspired. Keep the faith!

—Alison Roberts, Columbia CSM (Columbia)

My mom was only 32 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was told she only had a cyst on her breast and it ended up being breast cancer. She had had multiple cyst on her breast removed prior to the one that was diagnosed as breast cancer. My mom is now 66 years of age, and is 34 years a breast cancer survivor. She had to have a radical mastectomy back in those days. She never had reconstruction surgery, but rather she wears a prosthesis. She did have some reconstruction surgery to her scar. She is a great mother and I am proud to say if she survived 34 years and is still living strong breast cancer free so can you.

—Lori Ketler (Columbia, MD.)

Dishes in Columbia, MD.

Two years ago my aunt died from metastatic cancer that originated as breast cancer. A few months earlier she had gotten a clean bill of health from her oncologist. She thought she had beat it; we all thought she had...but everything about her story was unexpected and sudden. The first lump that appeared was found by her doctor on a routine visit. She had had a mamogram just 2 months earlier. With a biopsy they found a very aggressive and fast growing form of cancer. She had a full mastectomy and immediately started chemo and radiation. She did everything right. She got regular mamograms, she performed monthly breast exams. She ate right, exercised. But the cancer still got her. I mourn her loss everyday. She was a major figure in my life. I was named after her, and in her honor, I named my second daughter after her. She is missed but still loved.

—Maggie Wise (Vienna, VA)

Dishes in Alexandria

I am an 8 year survivor of Breast Cancer. I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction) hoping that I would never hear the words "you have breast cancer" again. I have had some scares along the way, but welcomed another granddaughter 6 years ago to bring the total to 3. How lucky I am!
Keep the faith!

—Natalie Goldberg (Hunt Valley, MD)

Dishes in Cockeysville/Timonium

I am a 39-year-old Breast Cancer Survivor! I was diagnosed at age 34 with stage II aggressive Breast Cancer and underwent a biopsy, lumpectomy and a sentinel node biopsy. After the surgery healed I started a six-month regiment of chemotherapy (AC, Taxotere). After finishing that I underwent 36 treatments of radiation. Since that time I have been a very healthy and alive woman.

I lost all of my hair (except I still had to shave my legs!) and instead of wearing a wig, hat or scarf I choose to embrace being bald. I looked great and have pictures to prove it!

Treatment is something I wish on nobody, but on the other end it's changed my life. Instead of living to work, I work to live. Being a survivor has brought many opportunities I would have never had previously.

I'm now involved with a spectacular program called Survivor Diver. The founder of this foundation, Lisa, had her mother pass away from breast cancer after her second fight with this disease. Lisa and her mom started SCUBA diving and it made her mother feel so much better. Lisa decided to start a foundation to help survivors of BC discover the same feeling. She teaches survivors to SCUBA and takes them somewhere sunny and fun to get their certification. (survivordiver.com) Lisa's philosophy is, "Together, we can help others find hope, courage, joy and a passion for life."

I am also an identical twin. My sister, thankfully, has been checked regularly and is healthy. We are involved in something called the Sister Study sponsored by Susan G. Komen. This follows the life of the sister to see what role genetics play in diagnosis. I'd love to talk to you further...feel free to call me anytime.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story. I believe my life purpose is to inspire and educate women.

—Stephanie Gensler (Abingdon, MD)