I am approaching my one year anniversary of the day I heard those dreaded words--"you have breast cancer". On September 27, 2013 at the age of 40, my world was turned upside down when I was told I had stage 3-A Triple Negative breast cancer. I also had a total of 8 positive lymph nodes out of 30. Over the course of the past year, I have endured a sentinel node dissection, 12 rounds of Taxol, and 4 dense-dose rounds of AC treatments, which led to losing my hair. I learned I am BRCA1 positive, underwent a bilateral mastectomy with immediate tissue expander placement, 10 weekly expansion fills, surgery for implant placement, and finally 34 radiation treatments. Furthermore, my 2-year marriage could not endure the stress of my cancer diagnosis, and my marriage crumbled before my eyes during treatments.
Let this story be an inspiration to every woman out there who is fighting to regain their life and feel normal again. I fought for myself, my children, and for every woman out there who is rebelling against the ravages cancer can have on your body, mind, and spirit. I refused to back down or give in, and I'm here to say you CAN regain your life, be happy and move forward with your life. You ARE beautiful! I've lived my life and enjoyed the best summer of my life with family and friends. I'm busy living and enjoying every second. Cancer was tough, but it has taught me to cherish every single second I'm given. The sun will shine again in your life. Your smile will shine brighter than ever before, so let your story be a bright light to those who find themselves in the darkness of cancer.
FIGHT on ladies--we are warriors!
Syracuse, OH
