I received a post from Sharon H., a listener I don't know but hope to get to know via my blog. Here is a portion of what she said:

Sharon, I loved hearing from you but you give me too much credit. I'm not that brave. This disease is so devastating and scary that I believe that any way a person reacts to it is acceptable. I cried like a baby for hours when I thought I'd have to have chemo -- all because I didn't want to appear weak and lose my hair! I was a zombie for the first couple of weeks after I found my lump. The news at first is almost too much to take in. And the doctors can't tell you anything initially, so you don't know if you're going to die from this disease, be maimed, lose your hair, or what. You live not knowing any answers for quite some time and, I have a feeling, you probably always have in the back of your mind that it might come back at any time. But what I have that you probably didn't, Sharon, was two of my best girlfriends that had both been diagnosed with breast cancer within the past 5 years, Kathy and Susan. I had their example to follow -- Kathy has two young children, and had a double mastectomy with chemo. Susan was diagnosed during the Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Piedmont drama a couple of years ago, and she had about a week to make a decision about her surgery and doctors before her Blue Cross insurance would no longer pay for her doctors at Piedmont. She had a mastectomy. Both of these women were truly amazing to me. They got through it just fine, and are better now than they ever were! These brave friends give me hope and help me stay positive every day. So do people like you, Sharon. And I'll bet there are a countless number of people you have been a source of strength for since you handled your diagnosis.

Thank you for your encouragement! I hope you're happy and healthy, and I am honored that you are blogging here with me!