My story starts with my mom. 5 years ago I lost my mom to breast cancer so happens to be the same day that I my son was born. I was 29 and lost my mom to this horrible disease and had a new baby at home to care for.The Lord knew I could not handle her leaving so he took me from the situation to care for this little one I had to get up each day.
Losing my mom so young I decided that I would not let the same thing happened to my kids. I recieved the BRCA test. I learned that I was BRCA 2 positive. The geneticist and the oncologist I consulted with the recommended because I wasn't done having children to go ahead and be one a screening process of every 6 months having some kind of scan. I would faithfully every 6 months would get my screening done.This process went on for 5 years up until last year I had a regular mammogram in March and a positive MRI in September.The news of my cancer came on the morning of the fifth year of losing my mom. I remember crying hysterically and saying mom is this you trying to tell me something.
After consulting with doctors and plastic surgeons I choose to have a bilateral mastectomy as well as my ovaries and tubes removed. Aside from losing my mom it was the most difficult thing I have ever been through. I am in the middle of reconstruction now and I'm hoping that once I have my final surgery on June 26 this will all be behind me. I have two beautiful boys and wonderful husband and family that have helped me through this difficult time. I feel that I'm the poster child for early detection. My tumor was only 3 millimeters(the smallest an MRI would pick up) it was Ductal carcinoma situ. I didn't have to have and chemo or radiation. I hope that this story inspires some to get tested and screened don't ignore it early detection really is key!
Orlando, FL