When Her Sweet Dog Started Pawing And Barking At Her Chest, She Knew Something Was Wrong

Rays of Resilience: 31 Stories in 31 Days. So many people around the world have been affected by breast cancer, yet no two breast cancer journeys are the same. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re celebrating a new survivor every day. Their resilience is an inspiration to us all.


My name is Cyndi.

It was October 2012, and while I was at work, I started feeling under the weather. Once my breathing started to slow down, I knew it was time to get to the ER.

Upon arriving, the doctors found a cluster of blood clots in my right lung. They didn’t know the cause but gave me 24 hours to live.

My 6-year-old daughter was waiting for me, and as the night went on, I lost more and more oxygen.

After spending two weeks in the ICU, they managed to dissolve the clots; I was going to live! I remained on blood thinner injections for six months.

During my hospital stay, my job had shut their doors, so I had no job to return to.

When I came off the injections I was so excited to move on. Then one night I was resting. My puppy, a Shih Tzu named Cosmo, jumped in my lap, which was the norm for him — but his behavior was not. He began to bark at me, and growl, and he was very angry. He never looked at my face but began hitting my left breast with his paw and rubbing his nose on me. He whimpered and cried, and began to bark again.

Then all of a sudden, a burning sensation started to run across my breast. I tried a self exam and found nothing. But I went to the doctor the next day, and they sent me for a mammo. That came back abnormal, so they did an ultrasound, MRI, and a biopsy… they were all abnormal.

I was diagnosed with DCIS.

Telling my 7 year old I had cancer was hard, since she’d almost lost me six months prior. I had a lumpectomy and 37 rounds of radiation, and then had to return to get clean margins.

Soon after that, my little girl had a poster signed in school. After asking the principal for permission, she went to every classroom and told them my story. She said, “I need all the support to help my mom get better,” and they all signed the poster!

She came off the bus and saw me standing there with my arm in a sling (which was from the second surgery to get my margins clean). She came running to me saying, “Mommy, Mommy, I have something for you!”

She opened her book bag and dumped it all in the street, and handed me this pink paint-splatter poster full of signatures, with tears in her eyes.

You see this little girl needed me. She loved me, and she was every ounce of strength I had. Breast cancer is a hard pill to swallow, and not an easy one. Always stay positive, always smile, and never give up.

The doctors now tell me that those blood clots were my sign. No one would have thought, I was 37 years old and healthy. You know your body; if you have signs, get checked.

The doctors also told me that Cosmo was my hero, and he saved me. He will always be my hero!

I am blessed to be here today. I am now 45 years old and stronger than ever!


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