Janet Testerman said the happy times this past year with friends and family helped her through one of the darkest times of her life.
On January 25, 2010, the now 41-year-old Knoxville woman was diagnosed with breast cancer. Over the past year, she endured 3 major surgeries to remove and then reconstruct her breast. She made countless visits to doctors. Janet's mother was always by her side.
"She will not let a doctor's appointment go by without her in- tow which I'm really grateful for."
Janet allowed us to chronicle a year in her journey with breast cancer as a way to educate, inspire and spread the message of early detection.
"There are hundreds of women who have been diagnosed since me and are embarking on that same path that I have, so I can continue to be a source of support."
Janet's message went beyond the airwaves. Social media spread it far and wide. She friended 2,000 people on Facebook within the first month of her diagnosis.
A year out, Janet says breast cancer is still ever present in her mind but no longer at the forefront.
"Life goes on."