My cancer story…

My name is Shannon D’Acquisto and I am a cancer survivor. Here’s how my story began…. I grew up on the central coast of California- God’s country, no family history of cancer, and no reason to think that I would ever be telling a cancer story today.  I grew up and married my college sweetheart and rode off into the sunset. 

End of story, right?  Just the beginning…


I was blessed with my first child at 27 and twins at age 30 – and on my 32^nd birthday- I went for my first mammogram, because I found a lump in my right breast.


My mammogram was CLEAR!  So of course the technician and almost all the doctors thought I was crazy.  I fought on, because I had a bad feeling about it – and after many more tests I was diagnosed with Stage 3C breast cancer, just after my 32^nd birthday.  My daughter was 5 and my twins were 2.


I thought that was the year when I would finally get to lose the weight I had gained from pregnancies and the year that I would get back into that college bikini bod again!  I had so many big plans for my life and my family!  Then came the realization that I had new choices to make….get new boobs, or keep the old ones??  I was a smart girl, I did all the research – a mastectomy would give me the best shot that I would get to see my twins go to kindergarten.  Due to the severity of my cancer I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy, which meant both boobs had to go at age of 32 – not quite the bikini look I had planned.


All of the sudden that bikini didn’t matter anymore -because with cancer we count our lives in minutes and days that we have left to spend with loved ones, not in fat or thin.  And as a mom we count how long we get to spend with our children.  So I told the surgeon, “the girls” both had to go.  That was the beginning of a long journey, fraught with danger, wildfires, enemies and sword fights.


Most cancer patients would tell you the details about the awful nature of treatment and chemotherapy – I am going to spare you the details and tell you just to read Lance Armstrong’s book – he explains it much better than I ever could, but I will tell you through treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation – followed by 4 more surgeries) I was blessed with only one trip to the ER – because with cancer any fever, even small means a trip to the ER.


With a cancer diagnosis came a new reality in my mind…. I felt that every headache must be a tumor, every time I lose my breath it’s probably because this time cancer has gone to my lung!  My new reality taught me many lessons – most importantly- to live each day to the fullest and to remember that life isn’t about the things we collect while we are here, but the collection of memories that we create with our loved ones. 


This reality became even more painfully clear to me when I was at Disneyland celebrating the completion of my own cancer treatment and I was given the horrible news that a dear childhood friend and fellow college alum was just diagnosed with cancer.  I had been without cancer in my life for 1 day only to find out it had struck another… too close to home. 


My friend lost his fight just 9 months later.  He inspires me to continue this fight.   Cancer has brought out my inner warrior, to fight the good fight, not only for myself and my friend, but for our future generations to have better options when it comes to fighting cancer and to have better diagnostic and support options in dealing with cancer.


I want to share with you the gifts that cancer gave me:


Cancer taught me that when life gives you lemons – always make lemonade, and when given the choice to stay home or go to Disneyland – I vote for DISNEYLAND every time!  Since finishing treatment in the spring of 2006 I have been to Disneyland more than 50 times.  – Because the day after treatment ended for me, bald head and all, I went to Disneyland to begin to celebrate the minutes and days that I have left here on this earth.


Cancer gave me the clarity to stop sweating the small stuff, to stop keeping up with the Jones’ and stop climbing the corporate ladder – not that all those things are bad, but for me, they were getting in the way of living my LIFE!

I am living proof that surprises do happen…  I had no family history of twins, no family history of cancer and only a 19% chance of 5 year survival.  I am proud to say that in 2 short weeks, I will hit my 5 year anniversary -cancer free reaching that lofty goal of beating all the odds- 5 years disease free!  And this fall my twins will be starting the third grade!


So in closing, I charge you to be prepared for all that life may throw your way, live each day to the fullest, enjoy every hat that you wear-


And find your Disneyland and go there often!