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Megan Dwyer San Jose, California United States   Click Here to Donate Now!

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2002 at the age of 35. Like many people (I later discovered), I treated my breast cancer as a “minor inconvenience”, thinking my life would return to “normal” as soon as I finished treatment.

However, once I had healed from the physical trauma of surgery and chemotherapy, I quickly realized my biggest challenge was going to be working through the emotional impact of breast cancer. Honestly, I was a basket case. My life didn’t look the same as it did before. My priorities had completely changed. I couldn’t relate to my friends and family as I always had before. It seemed that my whole life had been turned upside down, “normal” no longer existed, and I had no idea what to do.

I was fortunate enough to meet another young woman dealing with breast cancer, Meredith Campbell. We were both so relieved to meet another young woman who had already been through it that we soon became great friends and supported each other through some really difficult times.

The experience of healing through friendship and peer support was so powerful for us, that we decided to work together to create programs to help bring other young women together. We founded Amazon Heart in February of 2004, and in our first year wrote and published a book about our experiences with breast cancer and organized the very first Amazon Heart Thunder (formerly Changing Gears) motorcycle ride in California.

In the three plus years since my diagnosis, I have dismantled and rebuilt my life as I want it to be, on my terms. I’ve never had more uncertainty in my life, nor have I ever felt so free and happy. Even the “bad days”, that still show up for no apparent reason, seem easier to get through.

I am doing work that is meaningful to me, spending time with my family and people I truly love and enjoy, traveling, riding motorcycles and doing my best to live each day to the fullest.

I'm looking forward to the challenge of the Expedition, which is providing the motivation for me to get in shape for the first time since my diagnosis.