Jessica Foster
Staff WriterWhen Joy Walsh was 17-years-old, she found a grape-size lump in her breast. She brought her concerns to a doctor. She was told not to worryóafter all, she was just 17.
When she was 19-years-old and the lump had grown into a golf ball size mass, she again sought medical attention.
Immediately, her life changed. She went from planning her wedding with the love of her life, Ryan Walsh, to fighting for her life, undergoing chemotherapy, losing her hair, her breast, her hopes of bearing children.
ìIt was pretty shocking and I wasnít prepared for it,î she said. ìI was so naive about it. I think it was the word. Not breast cancer necessarilyóbut cancer.î
Still, Walsh had a positive attitude. She never thought the disease would kill her.
ìI never thought I was going to die. I just always had a real good positive attitude about it,î she said.
She credits her husband with helping her through one of the toughest times of her life.
ìHe was wonderful,î she said. ìThere were days when I would not have made it without him. He was my anchor.î
Two decades later, the Wyoming Township woman is living a miracle.
Though she was told she never could have children, she is the mother of three. Daughter Amanda is 19, sons Ryan and Nicholas are 18 and 10-years-old.
ìI have a really good family,î Walsh said.
Later in life than she planned, Walsh became a registered nurse, graduating in 2000. As a registered nurse at the Allina Clinic in Forest Lake, she has a career helping others live healthy lives.
ìI love my job,î she said. ìI of course wish I would have started sooner.î
At the Allina Clinic, Walsh primarily works with Bev Kimball, a physicianís assistant.
She encourages women to be proactive with their health and to get involved. She encourages those with canceróor those just discovering lumpsóto be positive.
ìYou can survive cancer. Thereís always hope,î Walsh said. ìHave a good positive attitude about it. Donít give up.î
Though cancer has left her body, the disease remains a part of her life. In the past, she participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. After joining the team at Allina, she became a member of the Forest Lake Relay for Life team ìAllina Angels.î
Walsh will be the keynote speaker at the 11th annual American Cancer Societyís Relay for Life event in Forest Lake.
To her daughter, her sisters, her friends and patients, Walsh stresses the importance of monthly breast self examinations (BSEs). She is undergoing gene testing to determine if she carries the gene that is a breast cancer indicator.
Walshís grandmother and two aunts on her fatherís side have had breast cancer. Typically, women talk about breast cancer on their maternal sides.
While she lost her left breast to cancer as a teenager, she later decided to undergo a prophylactic mastectomy on her right breast.
ìI thought Iíd be better safe than sorry,î Walsh said.
The 11th annual American Cancer Societyís Relay for Life event in Forest Lake is scheduled for August 6-7 at the Forest Lake High School track.
Relay for Life is a community event to raise money for cancer research, awareness, education, advocacy and patient service programs.
This event is a celebration of life for survivors, a memorial for loved ones lost and an opportunity for the community to join in the fight against cancer.
Teams of 8-15 people take turns, relay style, walking the track over a 12-hour period. Teams are encouraged to camp out overnight and enjoy entertainment provided during the event.
There will be 4200 communities hosting Relay for Life events in the United States this year. The events are expected to raise more than $300 million.
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