Yolanda Herrera, 39, had no family history of breast cancer but was diagnosed earlier this year. She had her right breast removed and has only recently finished chemotherapy treatment.
Herrera is a mother of two children who are active in sports and other extra curricular activities.
“I was the active soccer mom,” said Herrera.
It started out that she noticed dimpling of the skin in her right breast. She tried to tell herself that it was nothing, and that maybe it was from working out or something. But in March, her doctors told her that it was indeed stage two cancer.
Her family was supportive: Her sister did research on breast cancer, and her 16-year-old daughter provided encouragement.
“You can beat this,” her daughter told her.
Her son and husband were affected in a different way. They watched her go from the active, on-the-go mom to lying down and being sick all the time.
“They were really worried about me,” Herrera said.
She does not let breast cancer get her down, though. She has read several motivational books, as well as self-help books.
“My best advice is to know your body, listen to your body, get to know how your body feels.”
She did not feel the lump until she was already diagnosed. She then let her family members feel the lump, so they knew how it felt.
“Breast cancer is not the end of the world,” said Herrera. “With all the advances in medicine, research and technology, there is hope.”