Advice to newcomers: My advice to anyone starting this rollercoaster journey is take it day by day. It’s ok to say no in so many levels, everyone seems to think they know what’s best for you. You know what’s best for you and it’s ok to be selfish. I gained a new perspective out of life. Learn from what you go through, there’s so much to learn. I’ve always been a YOLO type of girl,  now it’s YOLO on steroids. 

I was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma on my left breast after a biopsy on Nov.01, 2018. My bilateral, by choice, mastectomy was December 06, 2018. I didn’t want to possibly go through this again as I was diagnosed at age 34 and the risk was very high do to me also testing positive to BRCA2 genetic mutation. Wish I knew about the genetic test sooner I would have done it and possibly have avoided this whole thing. Stage 3 due to 12 lymphnodes being positive.

I started Chemotherapy on Jan.14, 2019… Hello Red Devil aka Doxorubicin 4 rounds then 4 more of Taxol ending chemo on May 16, 2019. I did 25 rounds of Radiation from June 14, 2019 to July 19, 2019, I was soo done by that point I was starting to feel like a science experiment and honestly hated life and the thing I had become.  Physical Therapy helped so much and I gained most of my arm movement back. But my back continues to kill me do to the mastectomy I suppose. Due to Covid my full hysterectomy was rescheduled several times.

I had the preventive full hysterectomy on May 14, 2021. Ovarian Cancer was a high risk for me and if I can prevent it then so be it.. I was on Zoladex and then Lupron to block hormones prior to that surgery.