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Hi. I'm Tracy Crawford. I'm a Licensed Massage Therapist, I'm self-employed, and earlier this year I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not exactly how I planned to spend 2026. Here's how it went: I had what was supposed to be a simple surgery in January to remove an Intraductal Papilloma — a benign growth. Routine stuff. Except when the lab results came back, they found Stage 0 DCIS. Breast cancer. In my right breast. All my mammograms had come back normal, including one from December 2025. So yeah — this came out of nowhere.
I waited six weeks post-surgery and had a diagnostic mammogram to get a clearer read on things. If you've never had one of those 6 weeks post surgery — congratulations! I don't recommend it. Ouch!!! That led to a second surgery in March to try to remove the rest of the cancer and get clear margins. That surgery didn't work. Turns out the DCIS had made its way through the ducts pretty extensively — surface to deep, top to bottom, side to side. It's throughout the entire breast. Nothing has broken through the duct walls, which is why it's still Stage 0 and not worse. But it's enough that there's really only one option left. A double mastectomy. Both breasts. I'm choosing to go flat — no reconstruction. Two surgeries at once, one night in the hospital, then 6 to 10 weeks of recovery. My surgeon was very clear: no pushing, no pulling. Which means no work. Which is a problem when your work is massage therapy and your hands are literally your income.
I've been uninsured through this whole thing. Our savings are gone. I've tried everything — hospital financial aid, grants, Medicaid, Medicare. I make too much to qualify for help and not nearly enough to afford insurance. It's a fun little trap. Asking for help is genuinely hard for me. I've spent months trying to figure out how to do this without asking. I'm here because I've run out of other options, not because I gave up trying to find them.
But here I am. Humor intact, only a few emotional breakdowns — that my husband is most gracious with — and ready to move through this journey and get to know the me on the other side. I want to thank you for anything that you can give, even if it is a simple share of this campaign. Every little bit helps lessen the stress and strain placed on an already stressed and strained experience. With much gratitude, Tracy Crawford
I waited six weeks post-surgery and had a diagnostic mammogram to get a clearer read on things. If you've never had one of those 6 weeks post surgery — congratulations! I don't recommend it. Ouch!!! That led to a second surgery in March to try to remove the rest of the cancer and get clear margins. That surgery didn't work. Turns out the DCIS had made its way through the ducts pretty extensively — surface to deep, top to bottom, side to side. It's throughout the entire breast. Nothing has broken through the duct walls, which is why it's still Stage 0 and not worse. But it's enough that there's really only one option left. A double mastectomy. Both breasts. I'm choosing to go flat — no reconstruction. Two surgeries at once, one night in the hospital, then 6 to 10 weeks of recovery. My surgeon was very clear: no pushing, no pulling. Which means no work. Which is a problem when your work is massage therapy and your hands are literally your income.
I've been uninsured through this whole thing. Our savings are gone. I've tried everything — hospital financial aid, grants, Medicaid, Medicare. I make too much to qualify for help and not nearly enough to afford insurance. It's a fun little trap. Asking for help is genuinely hard for me. I've spent months trying to figure out how to do this without asking. I'm here because I've run out of other options, not because I gave up trying to find them.
But here I am. Humor intact, only a few emotional breakdowns — that my husband is most gracious with — and ready to move through this journey and get to know the me on the other side. I want to thank you for anything that you can give, even if it is a simple share of this campaign. Every little bit helps lessen the stress and strain placed on an already stressed and strained experience. With much gratitude, Tracy Crawford
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