Saundra Robinson was a brand-new newlywed when she and her loving husband Marcus went to her annual mammogram. Her heart began to pound when the radiologist said she was suspicious of "white spots." Marcus held her hand even tighter as she recommended a biopsy be done to confirm or rule-out her suspicions.What the radiologist delivered was devastating news; Robinson had breast cancer.
Marcus became her stalwart pillar as they worked with their health care team to devise a treatment plan. Susan G. Komen for the Cure became his number-one source of information about breast cancer, treatment options, support groups and finding the right resources. Developing a treatment plan can be overwhelming, but the resources Komen for the Cure provided were instrumental in educating the Robinsons.
As a marathon runner, one question Robinson had was whether she would be able to run another marathon again. Her surgeon said, "Absolutely, but you must give yourself time to heal."
Robinson did go on to run the inaugural Colfax marathon, which was her 11 th marathon. Not just any marathon runner, Robinson ran the marathon with cancer in her breast tissue and a broken toe, which she injured while carrying her youngest grandson down the stairs. This didn't stop Robinson from completing her goal of finishing the marathon under six minutes.
The next day, she faced an even more daunting task. She lost both her breasts to a double mastectomy. As Robinson stated, "My breasts have never defined who I am as a woman, so it was easy to let them go. Marcus loved me for me, and not for my breasts. The decision was made."
Five months after her double mastectomy Robinson was running her 12 th marathon in Tucson, Arizona. Her toe has healed, and her reconstruction has been completed. And as she hopes, her cancer is gone.
"There are days when life gets so busy that I forget that I'm a survivor. However what I don't forget is that "I am the Cure" because I tell my story at every chance," said Robinson.
"Every year I look into the ocean of pink at the Komen Denver Race for the Cure and marvel at the support, love and remembrance for everyone touched by breast cancer and know that with every step, we move closer to finding a cure. With every step, we can do anything," said Robinson.
Robinson is excited to participate in this year's Race for the Cure on October 4, 2009 at the Pepsi center.The Komen Race for the Cure® Series is the largest series of 5K runs/fitness walks in the world. It is anticipated that more than 1.6 million participants throughout the world will run/walk in this year's events.
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