Local Women Survive Breast Cancer

IF YOU'VE NOTICED LOTS OF WOMEN WEARING PINK .. IT'S BECAUSE OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH .. AND PINK IS THE OFFICIAL COLOR.

THERE ARE SEVERAL EVENTS SCHEDULED TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE DISEASE .. LIKE NATIONAL MAMMOGRAPHY DAY ..

AND A NEW LOCAL STUDY UNDERWAY TO HELP CREATE MORE SURVIVORS.

TONIGHT .. TWO LOCAL WOMEN HOPE THEIR STORIES OF SURVIVAL INSPIRE YOU TO "NOT" IGNORE YOUR HEALTH.

62 YEAR OLD JORETTA VANDIVIER'S JOURNEY BEGAN IN JUNE ... WITH A LUMP IN HER LEFT BREAST.

JORETTA VANDIVIER / BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: "i just felt like it was cancer .. so big, so close to the skin .. it was frightening, real frightening"

JORETTA CONSIDERED NOT DOING ANYTHING .. BUT THANKFULLY .. GOT A HELPFUL AND ENCOURAGING NURSE ON THE LINE AT NASHVILLE GENERAL HOSPITAL'S BREAST HEALTH CENTER AT MEHARRY.

A MAMMOGRAM CONFIRMED JORETTA HAD CANCER

IT MEANT SURGERY .. CHEMOTHERAPY .. AND RADIATION IS STILL AHEAD.

BUT .. JORETTA VANDIVIER IS ALIVE.

Joretta: "i feel really blessed"

ROSANN WILSON FEELS THE SAME WAY.

A TWO TIME SURVIVOR .. THE 42 YEAR OLD NASHVILLE WOMAN FOUND HER FIRST LUMP TWO YEARS AGO.

ROSANN WILSON / BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: "it was hard to take it all in and figure out where my life was headed."

ROSANN HAD HER LEFT BREAST REMOVED .. BUT BECAUSE SHE FELT NO CONNECTION WITH HER DOCTOR .. DID NOT GET FOLLOW UP TREATMENT.

Rosann says: "I felt in my heart this was not gonna work for me so I decided not to do chemo .. radiation .. cuz it didnt feel right."

HER CANCER CAME BACK .. WITH A VENGEANCE .. AND ROSANN LOST HER RIGHT BREAST.

LAURA FABER / FOX 17 NEWS: "Mammogram .. or lack there of played a part in both women's breast cancer experience .. joretta hadnt had one in 12 years before she was diagnosed ... rosann hadnt even had her first ... she was first diagnosed at 39 years old."

IT'S PART OF WHAT MEHARRY RESEARCHER DR. ALECI FAIR IS CURRENTLY STUDYING.

WHY WOMEN WHO DO GET A MAMMOGRAM .. DON'T COME BACK FOR FOLLOWUP CARE.

EARLY RESULTS SHOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EXAM ROOM IS KEY.

ALECIA FAIR, Ph.D / MEHARRY RESEARCHER: "if theres a positive interaction there .. theyre more likely to return .. the procedure is explained to them .. what will happen next .. thats very powerful."

IT WAS *THE* DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROSANN WILSON'S FIRST AND SECOND EXPERIENCE WITH THE DISEASE.

Rosann says "this time was different because doctors have been wonderful. It really has changed my mindset about seeking additional care."

ROSANN NOW WEARS PINK .. A LOT.

SHE AND JORETTA BOTH GET YEARLY MAMMOGRAMS .. AND BOTH .. PROUDLY CALL THEMSELVES "SURVIVORS".

ROSANN WILL BE AMONG TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO WILL BE WALKING IN THIS SATURDAY'S "MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER" WALK.

FOX 17 IS A PROUD SPONSOR

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN RAISING MONEY FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH ... THE FIVE MILE WALK IS AT L-P FIELD.

REGISTRATION AND A ROLLING START HAPPEN FROM 8 TO 10 A-M.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK ON FOX LINKS AND LOOK FOR "MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER."

THE WALK RAISED 400-THOUSAND DOLLARS LAST YEAR.Local Women Survive Breast Cancer