I went in for a mammogram in early June (2013) and received an 'all clear'. In early November 2013, the dog (76lbs) jumped up and landed on my boobs. The following day I had a lump in my right breast. The following week I had another mammogram and was told 'I think you've got something here'. A biopsy was done that afternoon and I was advised to contact a surgeon. Four days later I received the cancer news (by that time I knew). A week after that (two days before Thanksgiving) I was given the news that I had a highly aggressive cancer and would need an immediate mastectomy. This was done the 5th of December 2013. In the 4 months between the clean and cancer mammograms, the tumor had grown to a size of a large walnut. I hadn't felt anything on self examinations. The doctors figure that it had been deeply planted and that the dog broke it loose so to speak. I was 48 years old. I'm now 50, and am a 1 year survivor!
I had 6 rounds of chemo (no radiation), with a full 52 weeks of Herceptin for HER2+ cancer.
I had been dating my boyfriend just over a year when I was diagnosed. Never once, did I worry that he'd leave me. And never once has he made me feel any less a woman. He's definitely seen me at my worst as it seems I had every known side effect to chemo. We are still together.
The first reconstructive surgery has been set for April 1, 2015. The date was my choice...I figure if I'm going to have a 'fake' boob, I might as well have the surgery done on April Fool's Day.
If I've learned anything in this process, it's that it helps to talk about it. The more I talked about it, the easier it became. Maybe it didn't bother me that much because I'm a MRKH Syndrome Warrior and have dealt with adversity before? My support group (my man and friends) have been a blessing in this journey!
Gainesville, FL
