2025 Komen Chicago Race for the Cure

I’m joining this year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in support of Komen’s vision of a world without breast cancer. My goal is to raise $2000, and I hope I can count on your support to help me reach it. When I signed up my goal was $500, once I hit that goal I raised it to $2000.

This year alone, more than 310,000 people living in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer. And while great strides have been made in prevention and treatment, there is still so much work to be done to find the cures to end this terrible disease.

Every donation gets us one step closer to finding the cures to end breast cancer. Can I count on you to donate? 

The reason I made the decision to do this, on September 20, 2022, my own life was touched by Breast Cancer. What I thought would be a normal annual mammogram turned out to be the total opposite. I went from having my mammogram to having an ultrasound. On the 22nd I went back in for a more extensive mammogram and another ultrasound. October 12th, my doctor called me to tell me there were two questionable spots on my right breast.  She referred me to a breast surgeon / oncologist at Northwestern in Chicago. November 15th I was scheduled at Northwestern for a mammogram, ultrasound and a biopsy. I’m sure I was in shock, because I was emotionless. It was all a lot to take in, not knowing what was going to happen. The doctor told me they would know my results of the two biopsies in a week.  November 17th getting my nails done, thinking nothing of it.  My phone rang, it was Northwestern. The tech on the other end, introduced herself and told me she was calling from Northwestern.  She then told me the results of my biopsies “you have invasive ductal carcinoma”. Followed by “you need to schedule an appointment with breast surgeon/oncologist asap”. Which was already scheduled for the 21st. She asked if I had any questions. All I could say was no. My nail tech asked me if I was ok. All I could say was “I don’t know”. From there is was all the thoughts running through my head. I wanted to be alone, I didn’t want to tell anyone, although I knew I had to tell a handful of people. First person I told was my husband Craig, then I sent my best friend Angie a text. She is not only my best friend, but also my soul sister. Then I had to tell my parents, my mom was hard to tell, because she was a snowbird and already South, and also, she had cancer touch her life a couple years prior. Then there is my daughter, she was a difficult one to tell. As strong as I thought I was, there were many tears shed during that conversation. Still wanting to keep this secret. I have two grandchildren to talk to. At the time they were 7 and 9. The hardest question I had to answer then and still do this day. Was “Mimi are you going to die” coming from my 7-year-old grandson. All I could tell him, was not as long as I had the choice. I was then done telling people, I figured my immediate family knew and that was all that mattered was my way of thinking at the time.

The next steps in this journey was to have Genic testing done. That would determine the action plan for treatment. November 29th, a blood draw was done as the most reliable source for Genetic testing.  The results took two weeks to come back. A lot of hurry up and wait happened. The results came back negative with the genes that were tested. That meant the decision of treatment could be had. With my surgical oncologist and Craig we discussed the many differ treatment options. Because of the type of cancer, and the feeding source (hormones), the grade 3 and stage 2. We chose Lumpectomy, with radiation, and a hormone blocker for 5 years. However, that was what we wanted. We had to wait until after surgery to fully decide if that was the right treatment. Being so close to Christmas and me needing a vacation. We chose to wait until January 3rd 2023 to have surgery. Hospital arrival time was 5:45. Surgery went well, I was able to come home same afternoon. Cancer was determined to be Invasive Ductile Carcinoma, grade 3 stage 2B. With that being said we could stick to the original treatment plan.  I don’t remember much of the first couple of days at home. Other than being miserable and bored. 6 to 8 weeks of external healing and a year to 18 months internal healing. That doesn’t touch the mental and emotional toll this journey has on a person.

5 weeks of Radiation, so many what if’s, pros and cons. But that’s what was best and recommended. If you can’t trust your doctor, you should find another doctor. Even though Radiation only took 20 minutes tops, it was exhausting. Exhaustion was the only side effect I had until my last week of treatment. Then came the burns and blisters. Thankfully I am a fast healer, and it didn’t last too long. Followed up with surgeon, she referred me to a Medical Oncologist. She recommended I start the hormone blocker April 1st 2023. Between the cancer, treatment, and hormone blocker. There are too many side effects. I will deal with the side effects, and hope that after the 5 years of the hormone blocker must of the side effects that come and go will eventually go away.

As of today, I have regular mammograms, along with physical exams. And I still see my surgical oncologist and medical oncologist every 6 months. I consider myself a warrior, survivor, and cancer free! That is my story, I try to tell pieces of my story to others, to hopefully prevent them from having to go through what I did. This journey was\is not an easy one. But I have met some amazingly strong warriors and survivors. That have helped me in many ways and I am proud to call them my Pink Sisters.

With sharing my story and fundraising, I am hoping to be a small source of help to end breast cancer!

Mission moment: Due to improvements in early detection and effective treatment, the breast cancer death rate in the U.S. has decreased by 43% since 1989, and more than 4 million people in the U.S. are living with breast cancer or are survivors today. Yet nearly 43,000 people in the U.S. are expected to die from breast cancer this year alone. That is one death about one death every 12 minutes.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and considering donating. We appreciate you.