Courage Is My Strength

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NEVER GIVE UP, AND YOU’RE NEVER ALONE

The day you find a lump in your breast your entire world changes. 

You might cry. You might be in disbelief. You might tell your loved ones, or might not tell anyone at all. You may book a doctor’s appointment right away, or you might shut down and block out the reality and pretend it’s happening to someone, anyone other than you. 

You are not alone. This journey is terrifying. This journey can be amazing. And without a doubt, this journey will be life changing. 

When I found the lump in my breast and had to make decisions about my future, I searched for information. What I found left me longing for more…I found doctor reports and descriptions and clinical information. But not one thing told me what to expect as a woman. What I was going to feel physically, what I would look like, what I might go through emotionally. So I decided to document my journey to hopefully help the women that follow in my footsteps. 

I did not have cancer. I had Fibrocystic Breast Disease and a family history of breast cancer, and a 40% chance of developing breast cancer. My cysts were so numerous and dense that I would require MRIs every 6 months for the rest of my life to detect breast cancer. I went through Prophylactic Bi-lateral Mastectomies (PBM) and immediate reconstruction to reduce my high risk of cancer. I now have a 2% chance of developing breast cancer. 

No one could have prepared me for the experience ahead. And I hope that reading about my journey will help you through your own. 

I’m almost finished with my reconstruction and now I’m moving forward to help other women even more. This journey isn’t over, it will be a part of my life forever. The choices were hard, the surgeries and recoveries were unbelievable, but my life has changed for the better in a million ways because of that one lump. 

It hasn’t been easy. But I know I am not alone. And courage is my strength.