Gretchen Hoffman
Annette Crump is no stranger to events like the Race for the Cure.
She used to be an annual participant in AIDS walks and took part
in the Revlon Run/Walk one year, in memory of a friend who died of
ovarian cancer.
This time, it's more personal than ever. The Glendale resident was
diagnosed in June with breast cancer. Since then, she has had a
biopsy, a partial mastectomy and radiation therapy. On Thursday, she
will begin her first round of chemotherapy.
Crump, 43, is one of 80 Glendale Adventist Medical Center
patients, employees and physicians taking part in the Komen Race for
the Cure 5K run/walk Sunday in Pasadena. Ten members of the team are
breast-cancer survivors. The event, sponsored by the Susan G. Komen
Breast Cancer Foundation, is designed to promote breast cancer
research, education, screening and treatment.
"I'm still in denial about this," Crump said. "I've had a lot of
treatment, but I feel like I'm talking about it in the third person.
It's easier that way."
"It'll be a good thing to go and be with other survivors," she
added.
"I have a wonderful support system, but it's not the same as
someone who's going through it. To be around someone who is, and who
is still around to tell about it, is a really good thing."
Crump has always been vigilant about self-exams -- with a family
history of breast cancer, she knew she had a higher risk of
developing the disease.
"I'm just a big fan of self-examination and early detection," she
said. "In my case, I've always been careful. If I had waited for this
to show up in a self-exam, my chances of survival would have been
decreased quite a bit."
The Race for the Cure caps off National Breast Cancer Awareness
Month. Crump hopes at least one woman is motivated to go to the
doctor for a breast-cancer check.
"I want everybody to take responsibility and just go and be safe,"
she said.
