Let's rewind to April of 2021. I was about 30 weeks pregnant with my second child when I very randomly found a small lump while playing with my 1.5 year old daughter. I dismissed it for several weeks because "breast cancer doesn't run in my family" (wrong) or "happen to people my age" (wrong again). Ultimately I had this nagging feeling that something was wrong and I finally mentioned it to my provider at one of my regularly scheduled appointments. She performed an exam and indicated that she felt that lump & another but really thought that they were cysts. I was scheduled for a mammogram & ultrasound where I was told that the findings were normal when pregnant, I was fine, and that I should come back when I was 40. Spoiler - if I'd waited those 5 years I'd be dead.

Thankfully that nagging feeling didn't go away & I mentioned it again at my 39 week appointment. That night I gave birth to our 2nd child, the next day I had a biopsy, and three days later I was diagnosed with cancer. As part of this process, I was able to complete genetic testing and research on my family's medical history. In another shocking turn of events we learned that I had the BRCA1 mutation which is genetic.

Instead of spending my maternity leave bonding and enjoying the time with our new baby I lost all of my hair, spent a significant amount of time at medical appointments, completed 16 rounds of chemotherapy, and was constantly worried I was going to die. After my IV chemo concluded I had a double mastectomy and we learned that my cancer was deemed not responsive - meaning that the chemo had little to no impact on my tumors. Because of this, I underwent 25 rounds of radiation and an additional year of daily oral chemo. As of July, I have completed a combination of over 50 treatments and procedures & have ended my active treatment.

Does this mean it's over and I'm fine now? Yes and no. While there is no evidence of active disease at this time, I'm constantly on the lookout - any headache or random pain sends my mind reeling with "what if's". I experience long term effects from the treatments and yet I "look fine" to people who don't know. 

So what now? I continue to advocate for people to understand their family medical history, consistently perform self-exams, and understand their normal. I'm also leaning into this partnership with ACS to help raise funds for ongoing research efforts. 

LET'S DO THIS!