Local Women Bond At Life After Breast Cancer Conference

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There was a lot of pink in the room as breast cancer survivors from all over the Red River valley came together in Fargo.
 
Greta Diede is taking part in healing yoga and networking sessions at Essentia Health’s Life After Breast Cancer Conference.

She found out she had the disease around Christmas time in 2012.
She says it was a tough time.
The family she always took care of had to take care of her.
 
“Asking someone to brush my hair, to scrub my back, to tie my shoes. These are things you learn when you’re five,” said Diede of Wahpeton.
 
Diede made it through the treatments following the diagnosis.

Organizers of the conference say it’s important to address life after all the treatments are over.
 
“A lot of people kind of think that the story is done after they’re done with their treatment and it really is far from that,” said Organizer Leah Deyo.
 
Many who are at the conference say it’s just nice to be around other people who share a similar story and even though they’ve had breast cancer it’s not the only thing they can talk about.
 
“We can talk about what kind of car we drive, or children, or life experiences. We’re more sisters than we are strangers,” said Diede.
 
Even through the hard times, survivors like Karolee Ondracek want others with the disease to know;
 
“There’s always hope. You know going through it, it’s pretty tough and you kind of wonder you know how is this all going to end and you sometimes want your life back,” said Ondracek.
 
With every step, and stretch, people like Diede and Ondracek will keep living their lives after breast cancer.
 
Other topics at the conference included “Fighting Cancer in the Kitchen” and “Healing Touch”.