<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0k3gOb_0wJdtG9k00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0k3gOb_0wJdtG9k00" width="575" height="381" ><figcaption>(L-R) Ramona Jones rings the bell with Sandra McLin (breast cancer survivor) after she completed her radiation treatment. Photo courtesy of Sandra McLin</figcaption></figure>Contributing Writer,<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Q3rJZ_0wJdtG9k00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Q3rJZ_0wJdtG9k00" width="618" height="1008" ><figcaption>(L-R) Ramona Jones rings the bell with Sandra McLin (breast cancer survivor) after she completed her radiation treatment. Photo courtesy of Sandra McLin</figcaption></figure>On a warm night in February 2023, Sandra McLin was lying in bed thinking about her mammogram which she needed to schedule. She then proceeded to examine her breasts, something that she never made a habit of doing – but knew she should. She was “caught off guard” when she felt a lump in one of her breasts.Frightened about her discovery, McLin made an appointment the very next day. Her exam revealed that there were two lumps instead of one. Two biopsies showed that one lump was non-cancerous, and the other was cancerous at the zero stage – with no potential spreading. Since that discovery, the interviewee has been having her breasts examined every six months.For approximately 33 weeks, the 63-year-old breast cancer survivor who grew up in and still lives in Jackson, underwent radiation treatment.“My last treatment of radiation was around August or September of 2023. I didn’t have any chemo treatment. What a great feeling it was to ring the victory bell,” [a celebratory tradition that halted her treatment and praised her accomplishments] she exclaimed. McLin was thankful to her friend – Ramona Jones – who rang the victory bell with her.McLin has no limitations as a result of having breast cancer, but she has been taking Tamoxifen, a breast cancer pill, each day, and is to do so for approximately three to five years. Her physician is a stickler for the breast cancer survivor to adhere to the daily routine that McLin claims that she has no trouble abiding by.The participant’s breast cancer journey has caused her to have a heightened sensitivity. Males and females of all ages are potential subjects for breast cancer. In rare cases, however, the disease can occur in one percent of children.While McLin did not have to undergo therapy, she is grateful for a strong, supportive system of family and friends. “They were very encouraging. It took a village to get me through it. I’m thankful for having talked with others who had been down the same road before,” she confided.Apart from Ramona Jones “who carried me till the end, my niece, Attorney Vaterria Martin, was my strong voice to the healthcare providers, my [heroine].” Martin missed no appointments, spent lunch time with McLin, and was there for her “all the way.”From another point of view, McLin disclosed that she is pre-diabetic. Although she has not been advised about what foods to eat, she tries to be mindful of what she eats. She has included more vegetables in her daily diet.Having survived breast cancer since February 2023, McLin is grateful that no other parts of her body were impacted by her experience. She promises to do more self-exams, irrespective of annual checkups. She is jubilant that her physician understands her situation and is “very patient” with her. Further, she cannot forget two significant helpers in her life: “My two boys (men) stood by me.”</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Sandra McLin Breast Cancer survivor for almost two years – arose to her wakeup call

On a warm night in February 2023, Sandra McLin was lying in bed thinking about her mammogram which she needed to schedule. She then proceeded to examine her breasts, something that she never made a habit of doing – but knew she should. She was “caught off guard” when she felt a lump in one of her breasts.