I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2018 at the age of 36. Breast cancer comes in a variety of types and stages. My specific cancer was:
On May 10, 2019, I had surgery to remove the cancer and was declared NED - no evidence of disease. Surgery was only a small portion of my active treatment. In all, my active treatment involved three different oncologists and lasted about a year, including 8 rounds of chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection, and 6 weeks of radiation.
For 5-10 years post-treatment, I'll continue with hormone therapy to reduce my risk of recurrence. I also manage several ongoing side effects from treatment, including lymphedema.
I am proud to be a 2020-2021 Young Advocate with Living Beyond Breast Cancer. With other young survivors under age 45, we advocate in a variety of ways for research, policy change, and support for others who face this disease.
On May 10, 2019, I had surgery to remove the cancer and was declared NED - no evidence of disease. Surgery was only a small portion of my active treatment. In all, my active treatment involved three different oncologists and lasted about a year, including 8 rounds of chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection, and 6 weeks of radiation.
For 5-10 years post-treatment, I'll continue with hormone therapy to reduce my risk of recurrence. I also manage several ongoing side effects from treatment, including lymphedema.
I am proud to be a 2020-2021 Young Advocate with Living Beyond Breast Cancer. With other young survivors under age 45, we advocate in a variety of ways for research, policy change, and support for others who face this disease.
