My Story
Bradford County
Diagnosed at age 33
In December I felt a pea-sized lump in my left breast. I figured it was a swollen lymph node since I was stuffy. I let it go until the beginning of January and then decided I had better get it checked. In the time before my doctor’s appointment, I found out I was pregnant. I was excited about the pregnancy and hoping the lump was nothing. The doctor felt it and agreed that it was likely not a concern but ordered an ultrasound to make sure.
I personally knew the girls that did the ultrasound, so I knew the energy in the room wasn’t good. They called in the radiologist who decided to do a biopsy right then. I left with worry but also a lot of hope and prayers. Then I got the call: “I’m sorry to tell you, but your biopsy came back as triple-negative breast cancer.” It was heartbreaking. I was scared for my life and my baby’s life. I was also scared to leave my almost 3-year-old son, and of course, the worst-case scenarios come to mind.
I went to see specialists for second opinions who all agreed surgery and chemotherapy would be my best chance to beat this and that chemo would be safe for the baby. Time passed, surgery happened, and chemo started. I am now 32 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby growing inside me that I am excited to meet. After birth, I still have more chemo to finish my journey, but I cannot wait to put this all behind me and have a “normal” life once again. It has made me stronger than I thought possible. I hope I can find the reason for this; even if I can just help one person, it’ll all be worth it.