Smart Woman: Breast Cancer for Men?
By: Lane Stone
Updated: October 27, 2010
We continue our coverage of breast cancer awareness month with perhaps the most unlikely and inspiring story of one survivor that you'll ever see.
Mike may look tough, but he melts when he talks about his wife Kelly.
"You get goosebumps, its emotional. I met her when we were kids" said Mike
Mike and Kelly's life together raising their daughter Carly seemed like a dream, until Kelly was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 46.
"We knew that she probably had a less than 5-year survival rate because of where her breast cancer was in her body" said Mike
Mike supported the love of his two life each step of her two year struggle which ended just before Kelly's 50th birthday.
"And one thing that I'll take with me to my grave, hopefully in another 30, 40 years, was what my wife told me when she was on her bed dying. You need to live your life no matter what gets thrown your way." said Mike.
Mike never could have imagined what was in store for him next, just as he and Carly were beginning to put the pieces of their life back together again.
"I was working out one day and I got out of the shower and I felt a lump in my chest, simple as that. I checked the other side of my chest, no lump." said Mike.
In the cruelest twist of fate, less than a year after losing Kelly, Mike was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that had spread to his bones.
"Never in a million years would I ever have imagined that my dad would have breast cancer. said Carly Story, Mike's daughter.
Breast cancer in men is relatively rare, accounting for less than 1% of all cases. The most common symptom, a firm, painless lump found just below the nipple.
Now it's Carly's turn to support her dad, just like Mike did for Kelly, and with her mother's same sense of humor.
"She's probably up there like, you've got to be kidding me. Cut these two a break" said Carly.
Mike will tell you his unlikely journey is an opportunity to save lives.
Mike is feeling great and is optimistic that his medications are controlling his cancer.
Even though he's diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, he's determined not to be a statistic. His main goal is to help save just one life by letting men know that it's not just women, men can also have breast cancer.







