Hi, my name is Jen. Please help me if you can.

I’ll try to keep this short & sweet, as I know reading people’s stories can be a lot and get too dragged out. It’s hard though because I have so many different parts, but here goes….

BREAST CANCER to HEART FAILURE

A few weeks after my 40th birthday, (2018) I went in for a standard mammo, I was told you have dense breast tissue, but everything looks fine, just follow up in a year. About 2 weeks later I was shaving and felt a lump. I called the doctor and went in for a palpable exam, which lead to of course an ultrasound and then an ultrasound guided biopsy … so after about 4 weeks of waiting and testing I was told YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER. A day I’ll never forget.

About 3 months after all my treatment ended and surgeries, I noticed how short of breath I was climbing a set of stairs, and I was tired more often. I didn’t think much of it but did tell my doctor and he ordered some tests (of course, more tests) … come to find out I fall into the 3% of people affected by chemo that end up with HEART FAILURE.

Fast forward to December of 2023, I started having chest heaviness, flutters and my shortness of breath got worse.… more appointments and tests, “hurry up and wait” nothing is quick, and waiting is the worst… so December 2023 the day I got another awful call…. I hear the nurse saying your ejection fraction is 20-25%, this is a very dangerous level, make some end-of-life decisions just in case something goes wrong. I was completely numb. Medication changes galore over the next several months! Allergic reactions to medication, just pure craziness! October 2024, Guess what … ended up in the E.R. I was in AFIB. While my then 17-year-old son sat across the room looking at me wondering if I was going to live or die, the look in his eyes when I told the doctor I wanted to be a DNR, I was just ready to give up, but the doctor talked me out of that. I thank God that night he heard my prayer because that night I converted back to normal sinus rhythm on my own and didn’t need to be medically converted.

Now guess what, another referral to another doctor, this time an electrophysiologist, it was decided that I would benefit from an (ICD) implantable cardiac defibrillator. So, I now have an ICD and I’m on several medications for the rest of my life.

I’ve been on this plastic surgeon’s schedule now 3 times. I’ve been cleared for sure this time… When he called and cancelled me this past spring 1 day prior and flat out told me he couldn’t do surgery that I would die on his table because of my ejection fraction and that I needed to focus on my heart regimen first. It really hit me like a ton of bricks, like holy cow, this really is serious stuff.

Throughout my journey of breast cancer and heart failure I’ve had to quit my job and take a lot of time away from work. I was able to collect some short-term disability, but it wasn’t my full pay and not working for several months. My entire life savings has been impacted and all because of health issues that I honestly never thought would ever happen to me. I’m finally at a good ejection fraction of 40-45% and have my implantable defibrillator. I’m back at work and I’m on a good path.

I’m excited to have my final breast cancer surgery, I’ve been thinking and researching it for 4 years! I’m having DIEP surgery (deep inferior epigastric perforator flap surgery) They will remove my breast implants and use my own body tissue to reconstruct. This surgery is about 10 hours long and requires a 5-day hospital stay (probably closer to 8 for me). I will need to be off work for at least 8 weeks, possibly 10-12 depending on my healing.

My husband will need to stay a few nights in a hotel, the night prior and the night after surgery, then he’ll go home and come back to get me once I’m cleared to be discharged. I will need to make a couple trips after surgery for checkups etc. My surgeon/hospital is 243 miles one way from my home.

I realize my health isn’t anyone else’s problem and I genuinely do hate asking for help. It has taken me months to think about even putting this out there, I keep asking myself do I or don’t I ask for help...? I’m usually the person that helps others not the one asking for help but honestly this surgery means so much to me and I don’t want to struggle financially, that will just create more stress, and I’ll rush going back to work. Please, if you can find it in your hearts to help me, I will be forever grateful!