Marsha Wheatley had her second wedding all planned: a sunset ceremony on a Key West beach, a colorful sun dress to reflect the mood, a weekend stay at a romantic bed and breakfast. But as she dressed for the ceremony, she felt a lump on her left breast.

Less than a week later, in August 2008, Wheatley, then 38, learned she had invasive ductal carcinoma. Surgery and radiation followed.

``My life changed; our plans changed,'' says the stay-at-home mother of a 17-year-old son. ``Pretty much right away, we learned about that part in the vows: for better or worse.''

Wheatley, of Davie, is one of thousands of breast cancer survivors marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month. An estimated 254,650 cases will be diagnosed this year, making it the second-most common cancer among women after cancers of the skin. But there is good news: A steady drop in the breast cancer death rate since the early 1990s -- attributed to early detection and improvements in treatment -- means that more than 130,000 women who might otherwise have died of the disease are now alive.

While breast-cancer incidence and death rates increase as women get older, the median age of diagnosis is 61, meaning half of all patients are older than that -- but half are younger, too.

``The doctor told me I was too young to be going through this, but age didn't seem to matter,'' said Wheatley, whose grandmother died of breast cancer at 54.

Every survivor has her own story, but they share common threads of wisdom, watchfulness and gratitude. Each day becomes a victory, each family event a celebration.

``I take lots of pictures and spend a lot of time with my son,'' Wheatley says. ``I try not to sweat the small stuff.''

A SISTERS' BOND

It was all about sweat for Shirley Ravachi, another survivor. Ravachi, 47, found a mass on her right breast in October 2006, just months after a clean mammogram. It turned out to be Stage 3 invasive lobular carcinoma.

``You hear something like that and you get very scared,'' she says. ``You think it's a death sentence.''

It was not. After months of treatment that included chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, a hysterectomy, breast reconstruction and physical therapy to recover movement in her arm, the Colombian-born television producer joined a dragon boat team, Save Our Sisters, made up of breast cancer survivors.

Twice a week, under the direction of an ex-Marine, Ravachi and her teammates practice at the Miami Rowing Club in Key Biscayne. They compete around the state, and have raised money to pay for mammograms for women who can't afford them.

``I call them my floating support group,'' Ravachi says. ``We have a camaraderie that's incredible.''

She was so inspired by her teammates that she produced a half-hour documentary about four of them, All in the Same Boat: Stories of Breast Cancer Survivors, that debuts Wednesday on WLRN-PBS 17.

EMPOWERING FAITH

Marlene V. Clarke, 56, was diagnosed in November 2006. The Palmetto Bay woman underwent 16 months of chemotherapy, was hospitalized three times when her lungs filled with fluid and had to wear a neck brace for several weeks.

``Everything had to be done for me. I couldn't drive, I couldn't cook. I was essentially dependent of my children,'' she recalls.

``I've always trusted in the Lord, and this has only strengthened my faith in Him,'' Clarke says. ``I have learned to appreciate my life. I see each day as a gift. I just don't dwell anymore on the small things that irritate me.''

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