Tell us about your survivor journey.
Jeremiah 29:11
What has been the biggest source of support through your journey?
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
What are some lessons you have learned throughout your survivor journey?
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
This is the scripture that gave me strength from day one! This got me through the journey I’m about to share with you.
I was diagnosed with hormonal receptive stage 2, grade 2 invasive carcinoma and ductal carcinoma breast cancer on April 25, 2018 a day after my 48th birthday. I had regularly scheduled mammograms every year. I had just had a 3D mamo on Oct. 2, 2017. All was good. I had very dense breast and had to do diagnostic mamos throughout the years because I may have felt something. Also, have been called back from regular mamos because something didn’t look right and had to do mamos every 6 months. All checked out good and were fluid filled cysts. The end of December 2018 I felt something in my right breast, but was not extremely concerned due to the fact I had just had a very detailed mamo in Oct., a little over 3 months from then. In April 2018 I had a regular checkup at my family doctor because I had just had my first surgery on March 30th for something entirely unrelated to this situation and brought the lump or spot to the doctor’s attention and she said we will do what we normally do when you feel something. So as normal and what I had done in the past was to have a diagnostic mamo and ultrasound. I was not worried in the least bit because I had done this numerous times and honestly it was just something to check off of my list and not give another thought. On April 19, 2018 I went to Johnston Willis Hospital in Richmond and had the diagnostic mamo done and then was sent to the ultrasound room where things got really real fast. I had done this so many times before and looked on the screen so I knew what cysts looked like, but this one was different, it looked like a starburst. My heart sunk. The tech then started looking under my arm and taking measurements of lymph nodes. The doctor came in and did the same things. I was hoping he would say lets come back in 6 months and keep an eye on it, but instead he said we need to biopsy a place in your breast and under your arm.
I was then in for one of the longest nights of my life.
I went the following day to pick up my discs from October and April to compare the two over the weekend and when I opened the radiologists reports it was rated a 5 which said strongly suspicious for malignancy in both places. My world just crashed!!! The unknown of what was down the road for me and if I was even going to live flooded my mind. The tears started and probably didn’t stop until a week and a half. I was able to get my biopsies done on April 23rd. I actually got thorugh those like a champ! I was very proud of myself! I continued to cry and worry constantly, dreading when the phone would ring with the results and not knowing when it would ring. The waiting was awful. My birthday was on April 24th and I waited and cried all day. April 25th I had to try to continue on with life and my mom and I went to Raleigh shopping to get my son’s last minute items for the prom that would be that weekend. Again on pins and needles whenever the phone would ring. It finally rang as we were sitting in the parking lot eating before we went in to shop. It was the radiologist, my heart sank as he said the spot in your breast is positive for invasive ductal carcinoma, but the lymph node under your arm was negative. Honestly, I tried to keep it together for my mom as I was telling her once I got off of the phone. I then called my husband and tried to keep it together as I told him. At that point, once I knew I had a feeling of let’s hurry up and get this done. No time to wallow in sorrow, although I definitely had my moments.
At that point I had to tell my children and let them know I would be ok when I wasn’t even sure of what to think. They were super supportive and honestly super strong! I was amazed by their positivity and strength. My husband , Timmy was super strong and helped take over when I couldn’t think or do anymore! We still had m son’s junior prom that weekend, golf matches to attend, awards ceremonies and my daughter’s final college presentation and college graduation. I had to be strong and life still went on. I didn’t want to miss anything my children were doing and was still amazed by my children’s ability to move forward as well. My husband, however took time off from work to be with me and go with me whenever I was needed and believe me we were at a doctor of some sort it felt like everyday and sometimes more than one in a day. He took over and it felt good to just have someone I felt in charge of me. Cancer affects everyone and everything in a person’s life that has been diagnosed. As strong as you may be you get tired. Timmy became my ears when I had heard too much and my voice when I just didn’t know what to say. I had a constant support system from my husband, children, mom, sisters and family to my beloved work family at M.C.’s Kids to my wonderful children’s families at M.C.’s Kids as well. Doctor’s visits became a foursome with many stops for a banana nut sundae on the way home. And daily radiation trips to Richmond became great one on one time with my husband, mom and 2 sisters taking turns. If they only knew how they made this journey so much better.
I had MRI’s trips to the plastic surgeon, surgeon, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, genetic testing, blood work all to follow in the next few weeks. I had a double mastectomy on May 21st, my choice, to hopefully help my chances of survival from this terrible disease, along with sentinel lymph node removal. It was a good thing I opted for a mastectomy especially on the right side because there was another spot in the breast that was cancerous and unfortunately the lymph node that was previously biopsied and negative came back positive. The nightmare was still not over because at that point I had to do a bone scan and then a ct scan. I was once again scared to death. I will never forget looking over after surgery and on the wall it said Oncology. WOW! I was a cancer patient! Ct scan showed spots in my lungs which they do not believe are anything other than normal life that most of us have due to pollution, colds and such , but once again something to worry about and that will have to be watched with a ct scan every 6 months. It was also seen that a lymph node under my arm was enlarged! They weren’t sure why and had to rule out cancer so we had to go back in for another surgery, an axillary dissection. This was definitely not what I wanted to hear. Once again I was in a situation of not knowing how far this disease had taken over my body. The doctor was also concerned with what I would be left with for a lifetime because of removing so many lymph nodes and that would be a lifetime of controlling lymphodema. I was then scheduled for another surgery June 25th, 2018 this would be my third surgery in 3 months! Honestly, this time was the first time I think the emotion of anger came in. I was mad! had the surgery and the surgeon removed 16 additional lymph nodes for a total of 19 removed under my right arm. Thank goodness they all tested negative for cancer and I was definitely cancer free!
After healing and a few week of relaxation, I started the 25 daily does of radiation. Honestly, this was not bad. Tiring and burning in the area, but wasn’t bad at all. However, I think the months afterwards I’ve dealt with more on and off pain than during the actual radiation time.
I now go back for checkups every 3 months with the medical oncologists and ct scans every 6 months and I am on tamoxifen for 10 years. This is a lifetime disease, one I am glad to have gotten rid of, but you continually deal with pains from surgery, radiation, lymphodema and the side effects of the medicine that make you feel 20 years older, not to mention the constant worry about every ache and pain, but I am so glad to deal with those things and know that awful disease is gone! And it has gotten me to the gym! I am also very grateful that I did nothave to do chemo, because my tumor tested in the the lower range of recurrence. At this time because I had a double mastectomy, radiation and on tamoxifen my 10 year risk of recurrence is only 9%! If you know me I am kind of OCD and 9% is a lot for me because of course I would like for it to be 0%, but if this disease has taught me anything it is to just be grateful for what you have because it can always be worse.
So that’s my story! A long one, but one that I hope will help others.
