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Dear Ann Landers,
n the morning of my mammogram last Au-gust, I opened the paper to your column. The first letter was from a woman who had breast pain and was told not to worry about it because painful lumps were not cancerous. The writer found out later that her painful lump was indeed cancer. I, too, was having breast pain, although I could feel no lump. My doctor had recommended that I get a mammogram when I turned 35. Because of the pain, I scheduled the mammogram a month before my 35 th birthday. My mammogram showed a suspicious area too small to be felt. It was biopsied, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although the tumor was very small, the cancer had spread to two of my lymph nodes. I've since had a mastectomy and am now taking chemotherapy. I have read many articles saying that mammograms have little or no benefit to women under 35. My personal experience has shown this to be untrue. If I had waited until I was older, it could have been a fatal mistake. I was fortunate to have had pain to clue me in that something was wrong. I wonder how many women have breast cancer at a young age and have no idea it is there. I feel certain that the mammogram saved my life. Please tell your readers that mammograms can benefit them even if they are under 35. Breast pain or lumps should never be ignored no matter what the age. Sign me -Been There in Alabama

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Dear Readers,
, whatever they needed I provided. What really hurt my son and I the most was the obituary - we were not mentioned at all. Our friends (mine and hers) were appalled. I was embarrassed and upset for not just me, but for my son-who loved her also. I never been so upset. Her x-husband put his wife and kids and their grandchildren in the obituary, who my girlfriend barely knew. They live an hour away from us. I know its silly to be mad over a little section of the newspaper, but it still hurts. Will time let this devastating loss of her and this article ever go away? I am so angry at this whole situation, its not like we can go and rewrite an obituary notice.

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"Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat."
-Ann Landers