FAMILY: Husband, David Lowry; and stepson, Weslei Lowry, 12

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ZACH BOYDEN-HOLMES/STAFF

Cancer survivor Adrienne Lowry, who got engaged just 23 days before she was diagnosed in May 2010, was married Oct. 22.

OCCUPATION: Receptionist for Dr. Fred Kight

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT: May 25, 2010; lumpectomy, eight cycles of chemotherapy and 37 rounds of radiation

HER STORY: Lowry, 26, found a hard lump in her breast while showering. The lump did not show up in a mammogram or an ultrasound, and her doctor gave her the option of leaving it alone because of her young age.

“The first person I contacted was my mom,” Lowry said. “She’s been to every single appointment with me.”

Lowry’s mom and husband, who proposed just 23 days before the diagnosis, were in the office when she learned she had cancer. That didn’t stop their wedding plans. They got married Oct. 22.

Clumps of hair started falling out after her second chemotherapy treatment, and Lowry’s father shaved her head the same day.

HER ADVICE: Perform self-exams and go to the doctor immediately if you notice something.

“If you keep fighting, if you give it all you got, you’re going to make it,” she said.

– Compiled by Meg Mirshak
and Galan Lewis, staff writers