#LOVEKnowsBreasts

In Her Own Words…

I knew I should start getting my mammograms at age 40, but I never expected they would find anything. My first mammogram was uneventful, but my second, at age 41, found calcifications. The day before my 42nd birthday in 2019, I sat in my surgeon’s office to hear the words, “you have breast cancer.” My world changed in a split second. Suddenly, instead of being a healthy, virtual-schooling mom of two teenage boys, I became a cancer patient.

What followed was a whirlwind of appointments and uncertainty. When a breast MRI revealed more areas of concern on my opposite breast, I needed more biopsies to figure out what those were. Finally, after five total biopsies and genetic testing, we settled on a treatment plan. My breast cancer was a small area of DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) that was about 4 millimeters, so I had the option of choosing between surgeries. I decided to go with a lumpectomy, followed by whole breast radiation, because I didn’t have any genetic variants, and the surgery was less invasive than a mastectomy.

Initially, I thought walking through this wasn’t going to be too disruptive — after all, it was only stage zero. I was wrong. During the diagnosis and treatment process, I experienced disruptions to my mental and emotional well-being that I had never had before. I was full of anxiety and frustration. I was fatigued and couldn’t do my normal homemaking and virtual schooling duties. I learned that I couldn’t power through this treatment, and I accepted help whenever it was offered. I often say stage zero doesn’t mean zero challenges.

After treatment, I began to write. I needed a way to process what I’d been through. Every morning I opened up my laptop and continued the story. Getting my feelings out of my head and onto the page was therapeutic. After a few months of writing, I realized I had written a book. I’m excited that my book will be published in spring 2023 by Bold Story Press.

I’d always dreamed of becoming an author, but it was one of those things that I put off. Later would come, my kids would be grown, and I would have plenty of time. Breast cancer woke me up and made me realize that I might not have “later.”I began writing and advocating online in the spring of 2020. I quickly discovered a community of support that I never knew existed. I began to realize that the feelings I was experiencing were not unique to me but were shared with others who had cancer as well. I felt heard and understood.

I continue to get imaging every six months to monitor my breasts for changes. In the summer of 2022, I had an inconclusive biopsy that led to another lumpectomy- on my non-cancer side. A week after surgery, I was thrilled to find out that it was a benign fibroadenoma. Walking through the diagnosis and surgery process again brought up the anxieties and worries I had in 2019- but this time, I had a cancer community around me. When I was worried, I tweeted and wrote, and words of encouragement and support came in to surround me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to offer and receive support, especially during uncertain times.

I’m so grateful I didn’t skip my mammogram in 2019. Without that imaging, my DCIS would have remained undetected. Regular imaging caught the change so that my medical team could take action. I get scanxiety every time I walk back into the imaging room, but then I remember that I’m not alone. I walk with everyone who has been through this journey before me.

Get To Know Jennifer…

#LOVEKnowsBreasts