Bobbie Baker
At the time of my diagnosis, we had just moved to the Chicago area and were living with family, as my husband’s job was not totally secure. On Dec 22, 1999, I went to my GYN/OB for a yearly physical and he is the one who found the lump. On Wed Dec 23, I was having my first mammogram and ultrasound and on Friday Dec 24, a core biopsy was performed. By this point, I already knew deep in my gut that it was cancer – I have worked in the medical field long enough to know how to read doctors I guess. My daughter was 2 ½ & I was 34. All I could think about was that I was going to die. Understand, the only dealing up to this point with anyone who had cancer was that they died – end of story. It took me eight years to have my daughter and I was nowhere close to ready to leave her yet.
Well, needless to say, I’m still here, upright and kicking – just fat and sassy. I love my job, working with the patients and doing things in the community. In the last few years, I have been involved with a couple different events locally. One is Cops for Kids – Fishes for Wishes, which benefits our local Make-a-Wish Foundation. We have a live band and silent auction with usually around 400 – 500 people in attendance. In addition, my daughter and I help with another local organization that provides emergency shelter to neglected and abused children in the north Mississippi area.
For the past two years, I have participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60 Mile Walk. In 2009, I walked in San Francisco and this year we walked in San Diego. For this event, each participant is required to raise $2300, so there is a lot of fundraising involved. This amount does not include our expenses – we cover this. I am part of a great team of women, mainly from Mississippi, named the Mississippi Melons. In 2009, we raised almost $35,000 for Komen and $19,000 in 2010.
In addition, of course, at the clinic where I work, The West Clinic in Memphis, we are participants with our local Race for the Cure, as well as Relay for Life. Working in a community cancer center, I am able to help others who are going through the same situation that I experienced eleven years ago – good or bad, it has taken me all of those eleven years to get where I am at today and I would not change one thing.
If I am not busy, I get bored, and if I get bored I usually get in to some sort of trouble (ha!). So, I guess that about sums me up.
I AM A SURVIVOR!
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Tags: Breast Cancer, Chicago, Mother, Relay for Life, Tennessee, The West Clinic