October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and with more women in the United States being diagnosed with breast cancer every year than with any other cancer, except skin cancer. It's important for women to reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by prevention and early detection as their best defense against this disease.

Tessie Marcos is a vibrant woman with a zeal for life. She's been married for 39 years, has three grown children, three beautiful grandchildren and has managed successful careers as a registered nurse and manager. For Tessie as a healthcare provider and as a person with no family history of breast cancer or other risk factors it came as a shock to her when she found out in 1998 she had breast cancer. "You know being a nurse and working for PacificCare (it was still FHP that time in 1979) it never dawned in my mind I would be diagnosed with it but I got in the habit of doing the monthly breast self-examination and then I felt a lump and then I said I need to see a doctor," she said.

As soon as Tessie was told there might be a problem she immediately scheduled herself for an ultrasound and then a mammogram only to find out both tests came out with different results. "So they did the ultrasound it confirmed there really is a lump there but I still went on and had the scheduled mammogram as it turned out it was negative it was normal. What is that you know? Well I fell into the 10% false negative," she said.

Tessie would have to get a biopsy confirming she had a malignant tumor. "The doctor had offered me three things because my diagnosis was DCIS, ductile, carcinoma, inside too. It means cancer cells were present in the milk passages. In the ducts, but that does not penetrate the walls you know and into the tissues so it is a highly curable form of cancer," she said.

When Tessie knew for sure it was cancer for a second she says the world ended. But she focused on the people that meant the most to her and decided right then and there she will live. "And then I said, 'Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, who's going to take care of my mother?' And then I said what about my grandchild and then was enough for me to snap out of that. My husband and I both cried. It still brings back tears to me you know, but I said to him you know because I am a survivor, I'm going to fight this and I said if you think you're going to have a chance to get married again, sorry buddy you ain't getting married to anyone because I'm gong to live," she said.

Because Tessie's cancer was detected early it gave her the best chance of being treated successfully. She was given the options between a lumpectomy or a mastectomy. A lumpectomy removes only the lump, a border of surrounding normal tissue, and usually underarm lymph nodes. A mastectomy removes the entire breast and usually underarm lymph nodes. Tessie chose a mastectomy and although many women find it emotionally difficult to lose a breast for Tessie she did not allow her sexuality or self esteem affect who she is.

"And when I was asked does it not lessen your femininity, sexuality, uh-oh, I'm still a woman. You know because to me there are different types of cancers. There are more severe ones. And I'm one of the lucky ones that have that form of cancer," she said.

Tessie doesn't blame God or anyone for having cancer. Rather she's been blessed with the fact that she was able to detect her cancer early and have it treated early. "And so early detection I always express the importance of early," she said.

Tessie is thankful for her life. Prior to her treatment she was waiting for the delivery of her first grandchild today she's survived to see not just one but three grand children born since her diagnosis of breast cancer. "Jacob is now six years old the most awaited grand kid in 1998 he's now 7 years old and Gabrielle is 5 years old that is from Gracialla from the oldest one and from our second daughter we have Quatemo he is now two years old. They are the source of my strength and my love," she said.

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