>>> WELCOME BACK.
SHE IS A JOURNALIST, WRITER AND
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR.
>>> JOAN LUNDEN IS HERE TO
SHARE HER STORY AT THE NANCY
OWENS MEMORIAL LUNCHEON.
STEF STOPPED BY TO SPEAK WITH
HER.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> JOAN LUNDEN NEEDS ABSOLUTELY
NO INTRODUCTION.
YOU ARE A BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
AND AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST,
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR, MOTHER
OF 7.
YOU ARE TELLING ME YOU HAVE
BEEN IN HOUSTON MORE TIMES THAN
ANYWHERE ELSE.
>> I HAVE DONE A LOT OF PUBLIC
SPEAKING.
IT IS GENERALLY ALWAYS ABOUT
HEALTH.
I'M THE DAUGHTER OF A DOCTOR, A
CANCER SURGEON.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD GROW
UP TO BE A DOCTOR BUT FIGURED
OUT THE SCALPELS AND STITCHES
WEREN'T GOING TO BE FOR ME.
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD THIS, HAD IT
ON GMA.
NOW A BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR
I'M ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
SPEAKING IN GROUPS LIKE TODAY,
TRYING TO INFORM AND EMPOWER
WOMEN AND MOTIVATE THEM TO GET
THEIR SCREENINGS AND BETTER
UNDERSTAND THEIR BREAST HEALTH.
EARLIER YOU CAN CATCH IT THE
BETTER YOUR CHANCE FOR SURVIVAL.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I KEEP
GETTING ASKED TO COME HERE TO
SPEAK IN SURROUNDING AREAS OF
HOUSTON.
I HOPE IT KEEPS HAPPENING.
>> I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
SHARING.
THIS IS A VERY EMOTIONAL AND
DIFFICULT THING FOR ANYONE TO
SGO THROUGH.
BUT IN THE PUBLIC EYE CAN YOU
TELL ME A LITTLE HOW THAT
JOURNEY'S BEEN?
>> I HAD MY MOMENT WITH A
BASEBALL CAP AND NOT TELLING
ANYONE.
ONCE YOU GO PUBLIC, LIKE I HAVE
GONE PUBLIC, IT OVERTAKES YOUR
LIFE.
BUT FOR ME I ALLOWED MYSELF TO
TURN MY FIGHT AGAINST CANCER
INTO THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.
THAT CHANGED THE WHOLE TURNING
IN THE MOST POSITIVE WAY.
I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I LOST MY
DAD WAY TOO YOUNG.
I FEEL LIKE I'M PICKING UP THE
TORCH AND CARRYING ON HIS
LEGACY AND HELPING TO INFORM
WOMEN SO THEY CAN BETTER
PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM GETTING
BREAST CANCER.
I THINK THIS UNIQUE POSITION
WHERE MY HAIR GREW BACK, I'M
CANCER FREE AND I HAVE THIS
HOPE AND STRENGTH.
IN THIS COMMUNITY WE HAVE
250,000 WOMEN DIAGNOSED EVERY
YEAR.
EVERY FEW MINUTES IN THIS
COUNTRY A WOMAN IS DIAGNOSED.
WE LOSE ABOUT 40,000 EVERY YEAR.
I THINK WE NEED PEOPLE TO STAND
UP AND BE A SPIRIT OF STRENGTH.
I FEEL EVERY TIME A WOMAN
SHARINGS HER STORY SOMEONE
LEARNS AND IS EMPOWERING AND IS
MOTIVATED.
I KNOW WE SAVE LIVES BY DOING
THAT.
>> ONE MORE THING, YOU ARE
KNOWN AS ONE OFFICERAMERICA'S
MOST GORGEOUS SUNSHINE HAPPY
WOMEN.
YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE PUBLIC EYE
FOR SO LONG.
HOW DOES GOING THROUGH THIS,
LOSING YOUR HAIR AND FEELING
TERRIBLE AND NOT STRONG EVERY
DAY, HOW DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR
PERSPECTIVE ON STRENGTH AND
BEAUTY OF YOURSELF AND OF
THESER WOMEN.
>> I THINK ANYBODY WHO'S
SURVIVED ANY KIND OF CANCER
WILL TELL YOU THEY LOOK AT LIFE
DIFFERENTLY.
WITH THE ABILITY TO CURL UP
WITH YOUR BOOK AND A DOG, IT
MAKES YOU APPRECIATE LIFE AND
EVERYTHING IN IT.
TOO BAD WE COULDN'T HARNESS
THAT AND GIVE IT TO PEOPLE.
IT WILL DOES CHANGE YOUR
PRAOESH EYES FOR LIFE.
GOING THROUGH IT IS VERY
IMPORTANT TO TRY TO DO
EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO KIND OF
STAY STRONG AND POSITIVE.
A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ISN'T GOING
TO CURE CANCER BUT WILL MAKE
THE JOURNEY MORE POWERFUL.
THAT MEANS YOU TAKING SOMEONE
GOING THROUGH IT OUT TO SEE A
MOVIE OR OUT TO DINNER TO NOT
TALK ABOUT THE CANCER.
TO JUST LAUGH.
LIKE TO BRING JOY INTO THEIR
LIVES.
THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
OTHERWISE, A I USED TO SAY, I'M
CANCERED OUT.
WE ARE NOT USED TO PEOPLE
DOTING AND WORRYING.
WE ARE THE ONES THAT TAKE CARE
OF EVERYONE ELEGANCE.
THAT IS HOW WOMEN ARE WIRED.
>> AND YOU ARE A MOTHER OF
SEVEN.
>> DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE
HOW MANY PRESIDENTS I HAVE
COVERED.
IT IS THE SEVEN KIDS THAT GET
THE APPLAUSE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE IN HOUSTON AND SHARING
YOUR STORY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH AN
ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH.
IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY.
YOU KNOW WHAT, FOR YOU TO JUST
BE THIS WOMAN AND BE GIVING SO
MUCH OF YOURSELF IS SO
IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU FROM ALL OF US HERE
IN HOUSTON, ALL OF US HERE AT
HOUSTON LIFE.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING
CANCER-FREE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> MY HAIR GREW BACK.
>> IT IS GORGEOUS.
WE WILL GET YOU AN ELAINE
TURNER DRESS.
JOAN LUNDEN LOVES THIS DRESS SO
WE WILL GET YOU ONE.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> WOW.
>> UNBELIEVABLE.
>> SHE IS AGELESS.
HER HAIR LOOKS GREAT.
THE SHORTER VERSION IS GOOD.
>> WHAT I THINK IS SO GREAT,
WHETHER YOU ARE A SURVIVOR,
KNOW A SURVIVOR OR SOMEBODY
GOING THROUGH THAT BREAST
CANCER OR CANCER JOURNEY, YOU
CAN LEARN FROM THAT.
IT IS AWESOME.
TO KEEP UP VISIT HER WEB SITE
AT JOANLUNDEN.COM.