“Growing up in the ‘80s, we were not a healthy family. It was all canned and boxed food. My mom was a chronic dieter, raised by a chronic dieter. Fat-free, carb-free — we did all the fad diets.

“My mom passed away from breast cancer when I was 17. At the time, I definitely was not the epitome of health. I tried to get out of gym class as often as possible. If we were running that day, I was the kid who would say, ‘I don’t feel well. I need to go see the nurse.’ I had a lot of self-esteem and self-worth issues. It was just the narrative I had for myself. When you don’t feel like you’re worth the time and effort to lace up your shoes and go for a walk, then you don’t do it because it feels pointless. Getting into fitness and having to face my own issues, that created a whole new life for me.

“They say that anyone who’s lost a lot of weight has that one moment when everything starts to change. For me, it was when I was contacted by MD Anderson as a high-risk case because of my mom’s very aggressive breast cancer. They called after my second born and asked me to come in for all my screenings.

“I was a good 100 pounds overweight, but I blamed genetics. Everybody in my family was overweight, so I figured it was just my lot in life.

“There was this very sweet radiologist who went over all my results. Then he looked at me and said, ‘Mrs. Carlson, my main concern is your lifestyle.’ He said, ‘With breast cancer in particular, if you’re overweight, you tend to be more at risk. So if you’re not moving, eating a balanced diet, and getting some of this excess weight off, then it’s not a question of if you’ll get cancer, it’s a question of when.’ I cried, probably for about a week. Then I just decided I did not want to leave the way my mom did, and I started doing something about it.”

— Michelle Carlson

Michelle, who worked hard to lose the weight, became a trainer, nutritionist and self-described health nut. Learn more at michellecfitness.com.

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“I started having this pain in my breast. It was getting really bad. When I went to the doctor and she felt the lump, she said, ‘You need to get tests done right now.’ I learned that when the radiologist comes out to talk with you after the mammogram, it’s something bad.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2012. The first time I went to MD Anderson for blood work, one of the ladies said, ‘You have the Cadillac of breast cancers.’ I had the HER2-positive. I had the ER/PR-negative. Everything that could make it worse, I had. They said if I had walked in there five years prior, I probably would have had zero percent chance to live.”

There was chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, followed by more chemo. With support from family and friends, she made it through. Only to face another health scare, which at first she thought was severe acid reflux from the chemo.

“I was out Ubering on a Sunday, and one of the ladies I picked up said, ‘Mam, you don’t look good.’ I said, ‘I don’t feel good.’ By the time I drove to the hospital, my chest was really hurting. They took me to the back for an EKG. The doctor standing outside the room said, ‘You’re having a heart attack.’ There were nurses all around me, one trying to put in IVs. I was all alone. I was crying, and was like, ‘Please don’t let me die.’ One of the nurses asked, ‘Do you want me to call a priest?’ My dad had died of a massive heart attack at 34. He was so young. That kept going through my head. It ended up that I had 100% blockage, so they put in stents.

“Having gone through all of this, and so many other challenges in life, I feel so fortunate to be here today doing what I love to do most: cook. This is where I’m meant to be.”

— Sarah Wright

Sarah and her husband, Tyrrell, run Sarah’s Restaurant, 3321 Market in Baytown.

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The post Despite major health scares, she’s still cooking appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and they took it out. So now I’m going through radiation.

“I had anxiety for a long time. That’s one of the reasons I started painting rocks. I wanted to have something else to focus on. The very first time I saw a child get one of my rocks, that excited reaction just lifted my spirits.

“I have a friend, Betsy Wheeler, who also paints for the Baytown Rocks group. She’s always bringing me rocks and setting them on my doorstep when I’m not home. She used to work with my husband. So one time they met up and concocted a plan to hide some painted rocks in my house. I went into the bathroom and was like, wait, those are Betsy’s rocks. But how did they get in my bathroom? Throughout the day, I found more and more rocks around the house that she had painted.

“Another time, a lady I met online who is part of a group where she lives on Whidbey Island in Washington sent me five rocks painted by various artists.

“Things like that, and painting rocks myself, have definitely helped me get through this cancer experience. Just knowing that people are thinking about you and care for you, it makes a world of difference when you’re the one going through something like this.”

— Peggy Martin

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“You know, all of our lives we’ve given. Never been on the receiving end. Didn’t know what it was like. I’ve learned now why I give. Being on the receiving end, you understand what people go through. I don’t think I could have ever really understood it before this.

“And I don’t think I understood pain until I’ve seen the suffering she’s gone through. I thought I knew about cancer, but I didn’t really know about cancer. And I thought I knew how gracious people were, but I’ve just learned a new lesson of how gracious and how merciful people can be.”

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Sylvia Escontrias caught the business bug as a teenager.

“I remember telling my parents when I was a sophomore in high school that I was going to get a job at the mall,” she said. “They laughed and told me not to let my grades drop. They probably thought I’d quit in two weeks, but I never did.”

From the days of selling furs at Palais Royal to Sylvia’s current rising status as an independent distributor for It Works! beauty and wellness products, drive and persistence have paid off.

Those attributes have helped her succeed professionally and survive personally.

With an eye toward opening her own boutique one day, a young Sylvia gained experience while working for a number of retail clothing outlets including Foley’s, Gap, Contempo Casuals, Paul Harris and County Seat.

She was promoted to acting district manager for County Seat, where she was a leader in training store managers and in loss prevention.

“I enjoyed it, but it was a lot of hard work and long hours,” Sylvia said. “When my daughter was about 4 1/2, I realized that I was missing way too many firsts. I needed to do something different, so I ended my retail career.”

Changing roles

She tried substitute teaching because of the flexible work schedule. But when Sylvia saw that it was becoming more of a full-time role, she switched direction again.

It began as temp work handling printing and collating duties at food distribution giant Sysco in Houston. In short order, Sylvia was hired full time and rose through the ranks into management. Her 15-year career with Sysco culminated as a supervisor in financial services over the claims department.

“About five years ago, I realized I was just tapped out on what I was doing. I was tapped out on hiring, tapped out on reviews, tapped out on raises,” Sylvia said. “I thought, I’ve made a lot of money for someone else. Now it’s time to really do something for myself.”

It wasn’t quite her dream of owning a brick-and-mortar boutique business, but Sylvia was excited to become an entrepreneur and join the growing world of direct sales.

First, she was a representative and distributor for Scentsy fragrance products. “I was buying the stuff anyway. I figured I might as well start selling it, too,” Sylvia said.

Three years ago she changed to It Works!, an up-and-coming business in the direct selling industry. It didn’t hurt that Sylvia was hooked on the all-natural, plant-based health and wellness products.

Cancer battle

About five months into the venture, however, her life was turned upside down. An annual mammogram led to a diagnosis of breast cancer.

“When the doctor told me, I was in denial. I did not want to believe it. I was frozen. I was numb,” Sylvia said. “It was hard to tell my family. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”

For about a month, Sylvia refused to schedule a follow-up appointment. But after lots of family support “and pressure,” she finally met with an oncologist and opted for a partial mastectomy.

“Unfortunately, they found a lot more once they got in there,” she said. “Then I went through the full gamut of chemotherapy and radiation. It was tough.”

Sylvia lost all of her hair, her eyebrows, her eyelashes. Considering her love for fashion, that hit her especially hard.

“I never thought that I would miss sitting there with my head in a shampoo bowl and having someone wash my hair,” she said. “You take those things for granted.”

Parental guidance

Throughout the cancer experience — Sylvia continues seeing her oncologist because “we know that something is still going on” — she has been buoyed by traits learned from watching her parents.

She credits her mom and dad, Mary and Manuel Escontrias, for a strong work ethic and inner drive that have benefited her in business and in life.

Manuel enjoyed a 38-year career as an engineer at Exxon Mobil. He also made a mark in the local community as a city councilman, Goose Creek CISD trustee and Lee College regent.

Mary, who worked in the banking industry, has battled diabetes for years. As she began losing her eyesight, she was forced to retire.

“She’s legally blind and she has to be in a wheelchair or a walker most of the time,” Sylvia said. “That’s been one of the hardest things for me because my mom is my best friend. But she’s still a fighter.”

Sylvia also followed her parents’ example by getting involved with community organizations. One such effort is Women Empowering Change, which focuses on personal development, business resources and networking for women.

Recently, Sylvia was named Business Professional of the Year by the Houston group.

Work-family balance

Being on her own schedule in direct sales has given Sylvia the flexibility to better deal with her health issues and to be there for her family, including her daughter, Ashly.

“This is really the new age thing, allowing parents to work and provide while staying home with their kids,” she said. “Some people who might not be able to be in the ‘regular’ workforce, like those with disabilities, also have the opportunity to create their own stream of income.”

On most days, you will find Sylvia connecting with people about her business on Facebook and Twitter. She is a big fan of Facebook Live, where she puts her outgoing personality to use.

“I believe that when you’re a small business entrepreneur, you have to connect. You have to collaborate. You have to be out there and network. To make it work, it’s really up to you,” Sylvia said.

“You can’t ever give up. It’s so easy to say, ‘Oh, well. I gave it a shot, but I couldn’t do anything with it.’ So many people do that. But nobody ever said it was going to be easy. Nothing truly worth achieving in life is.”

The post She is sold on being a successful businesswoman appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“About two months ago they found a malignant lump on my breast. I had surgery, but I’ve had an issue that keeps coming up that keeps me from starting my radiation. So right now that’s my biggest challenge, trying to be patient.

“I was just talking to a friend and said, ‘There’s a reason. There’s always a reason. We don’t always like the reason. But it’s going to be OK.’

“When we get started, I’ll have radiation five days a week for a total of 30 to 35 treatments. I’ve had other health issues in the past, but this is probably the biggie. I’ve had at least 10 different things, so I thought I had run out of parts. Obviously, I haven’t.

“I’ve always recovered from my surgeries very quickly. I have every confidence that this, too, shall pass. I’m just looking forward to it being over.”

— Barbara Wilson

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“I’ve been riding since I was 5 years old. As a kid I had a bunch of different dirt bikes. As an adult I’ve had two street bikes. The last one, a Harley Sportster, I’ve had for 16 years. Her name is Herbie.

“I’d really like to have another one, but finances keep me patching her up. I’ve wrecked her several times. I’ve been picked up by an ambulance three times. I’ve been transported by Life Flight once. But somehow, Herbie rides again and again. And, evidently, I do, too.

“I feel like I have a purpose here on Earth. God hasn’t let me go. I’ve had so many friends who have been mangled or have died, but here I am still fully functional. No brain injuries; not that I’m aware of, at least.

“I still love riding. I’ve been doing it so long, I don’t think you’ll ever take that out of me.”

— Theresa Cain

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“That Christmas, when I began to do my hair, I felt something and couldn’t lift my arm. The doctor kept giving me pills, but they didn’t help. It turned out to be breast cancer.

“I began to pray and to use noni. It’s a fruit that grows on a tree, and you make juice from it. They say it helps with cancer. I also use moringa. It’s a plant, and you can make tea with it. I’m a big believer in herbs, just like my mother always was.

“The doctor thought the cancer would spread all around, and he said I could die. He wanted me to get the operation right away, but I didn’t want them to take the whole breast. I wanted to get a second opinion. So I decided to go back home to Curaçao for three months. After three other doctors told me to go back to America and have the surgery, that’s what I did.

“But the cancer hadn’t moved. It stayed right where it was. The doctor who thought it was spreading and I was going to die, he didn’t believe in what I believe. I believe in God and my herbs.”

— Lady Nina Decaster, 70

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“You’re looking at somebody who’s had cancer. Breast cancer. When the doctor first told me, I came unglued. That just hit me like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

“He told me, ‘We may have to cut your breasts off.’ I said, ‘What? No you’re not.’ I ended up having three surgeries. They removed the cancer and the lymph nodes, but I kept my breasts.

“Then they wanted me to take chemo and I looked at them and said, ‘I don’t think so.’ I was scared, you know? I didn’t want my hair falling out. I didn’t want to have to wear a wig.

“So I went through radiation instead. I’ve been going to all my appointments like I’m supposed to and everything is as clear as can be now. I’m in remission. They can’t believe how well I’m doing.”

— Holly Miller

The post After coming ‘unglued,’ she beats breast cancer appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I got the card in the mail that said it was time for my checkup. I ignored it. I got another card. I ignored it, too. Then I had to go in for something else and I was like, you know what, I may as well get my mammogram since they’ve been bugging me about it.

“Afterward, they said there’s something they wanted to look at again. So I thought, OK, no big deal. Even when I got my biopsy I thought, this happens to a lot of people, it’s probably nothing.

“Well, they caught it very early, so I didn’t have to have chemo or radiation. I had a mastectomy. Immediately I said, just take it. I want to get rid of it. So I didn’t have to have any follow-up treatments. I was extremely lucky.

“The first few years when people would make a big deal about it, I didn’t understand why. I never thought that I wasn’t going to still be around, so I tried to downplay it. When the fifth year came, they really made a big deal about it. They said five years is a milestone. I guess that’s when I started feeling a little like a survivor.

“Because I didn’t go through chemo or radiation, and I didn’t have any major pain, it was like a little blip on the radar. It’s not that I feel like a fraud. But when I see other people who struggle with their cancer experience I think, those are the real survivors. They should be celebrated. Me, I don’t feel like I’m in that category because I didn’t suffer like they did.”

— Tammy Adams

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