I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. Breast cancer is not a cancer that is fought alone. It affects every aspect of your life. I lost a business. I caused trauma to my family. I've cried more than I would like to admit. With my husband holding me, and alone so no one would see me weak, scared, or in pain. 

Your whole life is focused on survival. Then when you find out that you’ve “beat it”, the PTSD kicks in. Mind you you’re not officially “cured” until five years so that’s always in the back of your mind. You want to pretend it never happened. So you don’t talk about it. You go on with life like everything‘s perfect.

What people don’t realize is even though you’re cancer free you still have A LOT more surgeries. It’s the never ending cancer. I have scars on my chest, my armpit, from my knee and to my growing. I feel like Frankenstein. I haven’t talked about it in a long time. I kept avoiding the walk. I kept avoiding my reality.  My reality is, my next surgery is October 16. A day after my daughter's 12th birthday.

I wanted to live in my delusional world, but I realized that’s not reality. I need to fight for those who can’t. This is a cancer that should have been cured years ago. Every dollar counts.