By Erica Bowlin / For the Times-Tribune

It was a cold day last January when Angela Peace noticed a lump in her right breast. She was working in her office at a printing company in London. Because she has a family history of breast cancer, she had been doing self-exams regularly, but the lump she noticed that day at work was different. Angela knew she had to act quickly.

“I’ve always had fibrous breast tissue, but this lump felt like a knot, and it hurt,” she said. “I left work early that day and went to the doctor. They did an mammogram and an ultrasound.”

Angela was told that although further testing would be required, the lump appeared to be cancerous.

She went to a specialist in Lexington, just to be sure.

The specialist confirmed Angela’s worst fears.

“They wanted to do a lumpectomy as soon as possible,” she said. “I knew I had to get it done. They told me the cancer was in the early stages, and if it hadn’t spread to the lymph nodes, there was a good chance I would make a full recovery.”

And so the lumpectomy was done on Valentine’s Day. Afterward, Angela and her family were relieved to learn the surgery was a success, and the cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes. Angela speaks matter-of-factly about the treatments that were recommended.

“They informed me I would need four rounds of chemotherapy,” she said. “I was scared, but optimistic. I knew the chances of recovery were high. I somehow just knew I would be OK.”

But Angela’s three children were very afraid.

“They were afraid they’d lose their mother,” she said. “I had to be strong for them. I stayed positive and kept my faith.”

Angela knew if she gave in to the temptation to dwell on her illness, her children would follow suit, so she continued to live her life as normally as possible. She continued working every day — even through the painful rounds of chemotherapy; even with the flu-like symptoms, the aches, the fatigue.

“Staying home from work was not really an option. I am a single mother and the bills have to be paid,” she said. “Also, I think keeping busy with my work and my children kept my thoughts from turning negative. I honestly did not have time to dwell on the cancer.”

But Angela admits losing her hair was one of the hardest parts of her battle with cancer. She and her fiance, Steve Watkins, had planned to get married in July, but Angela felt too sick and she wanted to wait until her hair grew back.

“I had really long hair before, and the doctors warned me it would fall out because of the chemotherapy,” she said. “And it did. It was so devastating. I did cry sometimes, but I kept on trusting that God would give me the strength to keep fighting.”

In May, the chemotherapy finally ended. Angela remembers how excited she was that it was over.

“It was like a day of celebration. Then I had to undergo radiation treatments,” she said.

There were 35 radiation treatments that were given five days a week. After several months, Angela recently had her final radiation treatment on her 39th birthday.

Angela’s prognosis is good.

“I am getting my hair back now, it’s nothing like it was before, but I do have hair,” she said.

There are, however, other side-effects from the radiation and chemotherapy that have not gone away. Angela still feels tired, and she is now battling Fibromyalgia, a constant pain in her joints. The multitude of medications that she has been taking has also caused her to gain weight.

Although she is optimistic, Angela is fearful the cancer will return.

“The type of cancer I have is known as a ‘triple-negative receptor,’” she said. “It means the cancer is not limited to the breast. I know it can return anytime. That scares me. Every time I get a pain, I worry it may be cancer... Even though the cancer is gone, I still worry.”

Angela lives a pretty normal life now that she has beaten breast cancer. She enjoys spending time with her children, and she still works every day. On a beautiful autumn morning, Angela drives to work just as she always has — but now she recites the prayer that has become part of her daily routine.

“I thank God for giving me the strength to stay positive during my battle with breast cancer,” she said, “and I pray that God will keep my body cancer free another day.”