2004 diagnosis was a shock for breast cancer survivor Bobbie Johnson

“It was really shocking,” she said of the diagnosis. “When they told me, it was like they just punched me in the face.”

Losing her hair because of the treatments was devastating.

“But I survived that. It’s something that, once you come to the realization that it’s that or life, a choice for life wins every time,” she said.

Johnson said she met people who were going through the same thing, and some did not make it. She realized it could have easily been her.

A private person, she told only those closest to her about her condition.

“It’s hard to help them understand it when you don’t fully understand it yourself,” she said. “I felt like I had the necessary support that I needed from the people that were closest to me. At the top of the list was God. I leaned on him heavily.”

In the eight years since her battle, Johnson watches what she eats, watches for signs of the cancer returning and goes for her regular checkups.