In August 2017, only seven months after a negative mammogram, Sue Hertzog discovered several lumps in her left breast while on vacation. When she returned from vacation, she immediately scheduled an appointment with her care provider to ask for a second look. Because she had already had one mammogram that year, her care provider was extremely reluctant to send her for a second. Sue refused to take “no” for an answer and insisted on what she felt was in her best interest. Sue was diagnosed with Stage III infiltrating ductal carcinoma in September of that very year. Cancer did not run in Sue’s family. She took vitamins, exercised regularly and stayed up-to-date with medical checks ups. This diagnosis was truly surreal and though she had a number of friends who had been through this very journey, it took weeks before she could come to terms with the fact that it was now her journey. Sue’s treatment entailed six months of harsh chemotherapy cocktail infusions – once every three weeks – followed by a left breast mastectomy, another six months of Herceptin infusions, breast removal and reconstructive surgery. When asked about the ups and downs of her journey, Sue shared that she felt that the ups were disproportionately outnumbered by the downs. “The disease steals your life,” said Sue. “If there is any ‘up’ side to it, it’s the realization of how fortunate I am to have such a great network of people around me that really truly got me through this,” she said. When she found the nerve to share the news with her family, she discovered that her family, friends and even friends of friends rallied to support her. No matter what they were enduring personally, those special people in her life found a way to show her they cared. Daily emails, caretaking visits, care packages, help around the house and garden, home-cooked meals and notes of encouragement flowed in from near and far. “In short, me, the eternal curmudgeon got to see the best of humanity in this situation - this was a huge ‘up’ for me. I’m touched when I think about it and am eternally grateful for these special people in my life,” said Sue. Sue’s journey wasn’t easy and she is still wrapping up her treatment, but already eagerly looking for ways to pay the kindness she received forward.