During an annual physical my primary physician found a lump on my right breast in August 2020.  One week later I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Triple Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (breast cancer).  The month of September was a blur of mammograms, sonograms, blood tests, biopsies, MRIs, and a port placement.  That month I also went to meet my Surgical Oncologist for the first time.  That was one of my hardest days.  It was at the height of the pandemic, and I had to do it alone.  No passengers allowed.  I arrived at her office and physically heard her words, but they were so hard for me to understand.  I desperately tried to grasp on to every word so that I could recall them later – but God knew I needed to take one step at a time so that was what I processed – Step 1.   When I walked out of that office with my pink folder in hand I felt like a student on my first day of school – and, in reality it was.  It was just a school I NEVER wanted to go to.  I felt that same way when I parked in the Memorial Hospital Breast Cancer parking lot.  There are signs there that the parking is only for Breast Cancer Patients.  I NEVER wanted to get special parking in that parking lot either.  But that was just the beginning.  Five months of chemotherapy, continuous battle with my low white blood cell count, a double mastectomy, radiation, oral chemo pills, and breast reconstruction – here I am.   I could not have done it without my faith in God and support from my husband, children, family and friends.

WE FOUGHT TOGETHER!   And we won!!

Here I am exactly four years later.  So much has changed but my heart stays the same.  

My WHY for wanting to raise money for breast cancer awareness will always be my 1 in 8.    Just this year THREE of my beautiful friends have faced cancer.

Statistics show that ONE IN EIGHT of the beautiful people in your life will face a cancer challenge.  

Think about that.  Think about YOUR 8.  

Thank you all for fighting beside me!!