Diann Stadler

Diann Stadler made a habit of having an annual mammogram, and that habit saved her life in 2009. After a routine mammogram in March, Diann was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. In May, Diann had a mastectomy, and a second surgery to restore blood supply to her left breast. She went on to have a restorative surgery, and in the process, she asked her plastic surgeon to reshape her left earlobe while she was under anesthesia so she could have her ears pierced again. She’d had them pierced since she was a teenager, but tore her left ear lobe years ago. This small achievement, among others, allowed Diann to see her fight as having a positive effect on her life.

Diann began her first round of chemotherapy in June. It was during that first round of treatment that she realized how different her life was going to be for the next year. Before chemo, Diann spent time sharpening her needlepoint skills, but had to give up the hobby during her four-hour treatment sessions because her hands had to be submerged in ice. Her great and enduring sense of humor helped her carry on through treatments, and naming her breasts Maxine and "the inflatable Mae West" didn’t hurt, either.

Throughout her treatment, Diann had her husband Chris and her family to lean on for help. She also found stable support in someone she met the day after being diagnosed, a nurse navigator named Sherree Bennet at the Joan Katz Breast Center. Sherree immediately stepped up to help guide Diann through her treatment. Having that support helped Diann through the ups and downs of her fight, including the decision to shave her head when her hair began falling out in chunks.

One year later, Diann is completely healed and cancer free, and she carries with her the lessons she learned during her experience. A strategy Diann used to stay positive was to look toward what awaited her on the other side of her fight, a plan she believes could inspire others going through what she and many other women have experienced. And Diann is quick to admit that until she experienced breast cancer herself, she couldn’t understand what the fight meant, or how defeating cancer felt. Now that she understands, though, she describes it as life changing, but in a positive way. Today, Diann takes time to reconnect with old friends she has lost touch with, and dedicates herself to helping other women.