My mother has been fighting through breast cancer for several months, dealing with chemotherapy, and has agreed to be a living example of the ravages of this disease.

To the left, before. To the right, after. And she still has a long way to go.

She's been holding together, continues to work, and is surrounded by loving supporters. But the road is hard, mentally and physically.

Cancer is not a statistic. It is our friends, and our families.

[Edit:] Because I haven't been able to make the follow-up piece to this (the hardrive I kept all my pictures on died a horrible death) I'll edit to add: Mom's made a complete recovery. Total response to the chemotherapy, the mass removed, and reconstructive surgery completed as of a day or two ago (end of August). So, to those of you with loved ones in this position, just remember that there is hope.