VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Lisa Strader, an English teacher at Bayside High, fights back tears as she shares her story before a class of 12th graders.
"I'm an eight-year survivor; it changed my life! I went from just this normal everyday teacher, from having to have seven surgeries and just always being on edge," Strader said. "Is it gonna come back, is it gonna come back, is it gonna come back? So it's been a fight."
Strader is opening up to another class about her battle with breast cancer.
"I was 43 when they found it," she said. "But I had been mammogrammed ever since I was 17 because my mother passed away of it. So, there's a family history and my journey began when she was diagnosed when I was seven."
What keeps her pressing on?
"My students, they're so supportive, they're so positive," she said. "They're my everything to me! I don't mind talking about it and I feel empowered; I can talk about it."
That's exactly what Strader did, taking very real and frank questions from these students, including, how it changes a person's actions.
"It gives me a sense of my own mortality, meaning when you're diagnosed with cancer, you automatically think it's a death sentence but then you realize that's not the truth. You, the doctors and the procedures that take place, completely just help take that fear away," she said. "My doctor said, 'Hey Lisa what... here are your options. You can get a lumpectomy because it was only three millimeters, you can get a mastectomy or you can.' I said stop! You're gonna take everything! I'm not messing with it and because I made that choice, it was, some people say, it was a radical choice, but my doctor said it saved my life!"
Then, another student asked her, if going through the process of reconstruction and having a double mastectomy caused her to struggle with her feminity.
"Whew! That's one of the best questions I've been asked," she said. "Yes...yes! I, some women will think or some women think being reconstructed isn't important, they have a different state of mind. I thought it would be important and so I needed to be reconstructed. I needed to have that feminine look again!"
Strader was also asked if there was silver lining to her experience.
"I've been able to impact others with my story," she said. "I'm a stronger person for it."
Because of her ability to impact others, raise awareness and her volunteer work with the American Cancer Society, News 3 presented her with an Everyday Hero award, along with a $300 Visa gift card from our community partner Southern Bank. She was surprised, very grateful.
"This will go, this will go toward my team," she said. "I thank you very much, this is an honor."
Her team will be walking this Sunday for the annual Making Strides Walk at Mount Trashmore.
News 3 has a team, named in honor of longtime anchor Jane Gardner who waged a brave battle against multiple types of cancer, including breast cancer. If you'd like to join the News 3 Jane Gardner team, click here.
