"I might have cancer, but this cancer's not taking me." That was the mindset of one breast cancer survivor who forced herself to adopt a positive attitude in order to stand up to one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer. The national "Stand-Up to Cancer" campaign was brought to Guam through the effort of Teresa Rayfield. As a responsible woman, Rayfield strongly believed in doing her own breast exams, and it was a good thing she did, because on Liberation Day 2007, at the young age of 33, Teresa discovered a lump on her breast.

"The first thing I thought was 'Hmm, what is this?', and to be honest, I never thought twice this was breast cancer," she recollected. To be perfectly sure, Teresa had her general practitioner give her an ultrasound, at which she was shocked to learn, she did have breast cancer. Teresa was presented a battery of options, but after learning how highly aggressive her form of cancer was, she chose to undergo a double-mastectomy.

She continued, "Between my biopsy in July, which they found a two-centimeter tumor, from the time I went in September they found a three-centimeter tumor. For me, my decision was I wasn't going to take any chances or risks. I have a child, I have a husband and I have a career and life is too short."

Teresa had braved through the double-mastectomy and even reconstructive surgery, but it wasn't until the chemotherapy began taking a toll on her hair, did Teresa finally breakdown. "All my hair was coming out in the shower, and that was my breaking point," she continued. "But after that, I got myself together and stood up and said, I might have cancer but this cancer's not taking me. And that's when I decided to get up, put makeup on, put a nice dress on and I felt if I felt good on the outside, I would feel good on the inside."

Cancer was an ordeal Teresa says she could have never endured without the help of two organizations on Guam, the American Cancer Society and the Edward M. Calvo Cancer Foundation. Although clear from the disease, Teresa continues to Stand-Up to Cancer by becoming the biggest advocate for encouraging other women to heed the warning signs and to undergo annual screenings.

"Anybody out there that is newly diagnosed with cancer and you think it's the end of the world, which I did think of it when I first was told the big word, it's not," Teresa encouraged. "You just have to continue fighting and never give up."

What was once a life of fast-paced days, filled with stress and worrying about having bad hair days, Teresa is now taking time to relish in the comfort of having a family that loves and supports her. "I'm real appreciative of my husband who has stuck by my side and real appreciative of my 12-year-old son, who didn't even know what cancer was. I could get out of bed in the morning and I would be bald and no make up and he would rub my head and say, 'Mom, you're still pretty.' It's the little things that mean a lot," she said.

In short, Teresa says standing up to cancer has given her a new perspective on life. She's happy to even have any hair, she takes time to soak-up the breathtaking scenery that Guam has to offer, she spends more time with family and friends, even those with fur, and more than anything, she's just happy to be alive.