“I draw strength from my family.”
To say breast cancer runs through Cindy Gross’ family like a roaring torrent would be an understatement.
Her elderly mother had breast cancer. Her sister has the deadly triple BRCA-2 gene and is now facing a stage four prognosis. Cindy’s own diagnosis came in 2011, following a routine ultrasound and mammogram.
“I spend all my time with my family,” she notes. “There’s a lot of uncertainty. At times, it’s overwhelming, so you have to be a strong person to survive.”
Despite that, however, she draws strength from her family and ensures she maintains a healthy diet, gets plenty of exercise and spends time with friends. “It’s easy to isolate yourself and just stay in,” she says. “I love being with others who share the same experience, like with the SHE project.”
Challenging as life is at the moment, she says,“I believe in hope. I believe in the best of life. I’ve been around for so long and conquered so much already. I believe that when I’m having a bad day,” she adds, “the next day will be better.”