Survivor Diary: Marlena Ortiz

I was diagnosed in...
"May 2009. My new doctors actually think that I was misdiagnosed for three years. Got to love the health care system!"

My immediate reaction was...
"'F***! You got to be kidding me!?' They sure weren't kidding."

Now, to me breast cancer means to me...
"A time in my life when I had to learn to put myself first."

I'd tell someone recently diagnosed with breast cancer...
"The mind is a lot more powerful than you think. Always believe that you will beat cancer, no matter what negative thoughts you have, or what anyone, even the doctors, say."

I'm inspired by...
"Anyone who is faced with a challenge in her life and becomes a better person because of it."

The things that keep me strong are...
"Reminding myself that I can't control the future, and I can't change the past. All I can do is make the best of the time I have, which is now. Also, if I can beat the crap out of cancer in high heels, I can do almost anything."

I get stressed out by...
"Health insurance, the economy, my non-profit, and people who only care about their own needs."

I unwind by...
"Writing. I have kept a diary on-and-off since I was in elementary school. Now, I share my journal on my website in the hopes that it will help other young women going through cancer not feel so alone."

If I were to stand in the middle of the street and scream something, it would be...
"I AM HERE!"

Breast cancer is...
"The reason why I am alive today. While it tried to take me out of the world, it gave me a reason to stay in it."