Every year, over 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, a plague where tissue cells start growing abnormally and uncontrol­lably. Some fellow Titans survived this horrific dis­ease and were willing to share their story.

Determined survivor and amazing English teacher, TeriAnne Libby returned to Poway High with her head held high after treatment and recovery for most of the 2015-2016 school year. “The waiting and not know­ing until the CT scans came back was the worst week, because you don’t know if it had spread,” Libby mentioned. Post eighteen weeks of chemotherapy, the pain continued as she received surgery then radiation for five long weeks.

“The hardest thing to go through would be chemotherapy, because it takes away all your energy, and it feels like you have the flu,” Libby explained.

Libby had a lot of support from family and friends all through the treatment. She was out for most of the school year, and re­turned during the last six weeks of the grading period, even though she was tired and was still doing radiation.

Another strong-willed survivor is math teacher, Susan Sebas­tian. She was quite surprised when given news of the diagnosis. Before making a full recovery, she suffered a long process of five brutal surgeries, fol­lowed by tiring chemotherapy that took 19 months to complete. During this process, Sebastian always had her family and friends by her side, which is the best moral support anyone can ever have.

“I have a new joy of life, and a determina­tion to be the best me I can be,” Sebastian stated.

Sebastian gave some advice to people who have been diagnosed: “Follow recommenda­tions of doctors working with you if you are diag­nosed, but most impor­tantly, all women should follow medical guide­lines—regular mammo­grams and self-exams— that allow breast cancer to be detected before it’s too advanced.”

Breast cancer is an unexpected and evil disease, and has taken away many important lives. Luckily, Libby and Sebastian are all right, and even though the struggle is un­imaginable, all the Titans are here for them and anyone who is going through this.