You think it won’t happen to you – getting cancer – but when you get that report, it hits you like a ton of bricks.

Patsy

#yayasurvivors

You think it won’t happen to you – getting cancer – but when you get that report, it hits you like a ton of bricks.

It all began in 2007, when I had a benign cyst appear in my left breast. The biopsy indicated that it was benign. My doctor had me going for mammograms and ultrasounds every 3 months. During those months two other cysts appeared and I was told they were the same as the one that had been previously biopsied. On my 4th visit to the radiologist (2008) another cyst had appeared but this time I was told by the radiologist that it was different, and it was time to see a surgeon. I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn’t good.

On July 31st, 2008, I had the biopsy. My husband thought everything would be good because the surgeon indicated to him that it was probably nothing. However, deep down I knew that it wasn’t going to be good – my gut feeling. Two weeks later in the surgeon’s office I was told I had cancer. I sat in his office and cried, and I cried all the way home.

Hearing those words of “cancer” I kept thinking is it spreading throughout my body? I could not sleep thinking those words and worrying. I lost an aunt to breast cancer, and I remember what she went through, the battle that she had to endure and eventually lost.

On September 11th, 2008, I had a mastectomy on my left breast along with removal of lymph nodes. Thankfully it had not spread to the lymph nodes. The cancer was hormone driven but it was at an early stage and I would not require chemotherapy. I was prescribed an oral cancer preventative pill for the next 6 years. This treatment had a lot of side effects, hot flashes, brittle bones, and memory loss.
I chose to have the reconstruction and underwent numerous surgeries for the next year. During the reconstruction process I had a cyst appear in my other breast I thought here we go again. But thank goodness it was benign.

I have a great support group of family and friends and could not have done it without them. Thankfully I am still cancer free.