CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Before 2017, Jan Burch says life was good: She worked as a paralegal, and she cherished being called "grandma" by her 12 grandkids.
However, after battling several years with metastatic breast cancer, she is proud of her new title: "Meta-vivor."
Although life looks like a walk in the park now for Burch, every step of her journey has been a long road to recovery.
“I thought I was fine,” Burch said. "I got to where I couldn't climb the stairs at work, in just like between the time of two weeks, and then I was like, 'What's wrong with me?’ ”
Burch went the doctor and couldn't believe what she learned.
“He said, 'You have metastatic disease.' And he showed me on the spine," she told 3NEWS.
But the doctor didn't think the disease originated from Burch's spine.
"He calls me Monday morning on my way to work and says, ‘Jan, where are ya?’ " she recalled.
"I'm about two minutes from work," she said she remembers saying. "And he just screams out, 'breast cancer.’ "
After her diagnosis on June 16, 2017, Burch took action.
"I live in a state with the Number One cancer hospital, I'm going to MD Anderson," Burch said.
Each step she'd take in the right direction, she faced more challenges.
"After I had my breast progression, I had the mastectomy, and then I had 33 rounds of chemo, and I have lymphedema. I fight for my life every day."
Burch changed her lifestyle and is now leading a healthier life.
"Start eating right and start exercising and you'll be in the best shape," she said. "You can to fight off this disease. And so I lost 90 lbs. I want the rest of my life to be my best life."
Since Burch's diagnosis in 2017 she feels that happiness is a choice, and has found more of it than ever before. The most important thing to her today is spending her time with family and friends.
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