My fight against breast cancer

On Tuesday, August 21st, my life made a drastic turn! I had been having pain in my left breast off and on for a couple months. I honestly thought it was a cyst. There were no other symptoms. I went to the doctor and ended up needing to do a biopsy. I was positive it wouldn’t be anything big. Unfortunately, I was in for the biggest shock of my life. It was about 9:30 in the morning and I was already starting my day at work. At 28 years old, I have been diagnosed with stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. One of the most common breast cancers out there. How is that 1 in 8 woman get it and I had no idea what she was taking about?

Once I was diagnosed, things started moving very quickly. Every day I was getting phone calls scheduling me different appointments with different doctors. I guess this was my new way of life, being inside different hospitals. Right away my life changed and I was pulled away from the life I knew. While I finally have a treatment plan in place. I will be out of work for a lot of the time while I complete my treatment to fight off this cancer. I will need chemo to try to shrink my tumor then surgery to remove what is left. It will take at least 6 months or more of my life. Luckily it hasn’t spread to any other parts of my body, but my mass is big enough to where it is concerning to my doctors.

One of the scariest and biggest cost of my cancer treatment is the egg retrieval process. Chemo is so harsh on the body, it can really do a number on a woman’s ovaries. It has the potential to completely kill any possibility for my own natural children. Adrian and I had just started trying to have kids before this and now there is a possibility that we can never have our own children. They have suggested I undergo an egg retrieval process due to my age and to allow me the ability to mother my own children after my treatments are complete. It will cost a whopping $10,000 freeze my eggs! I keep asking, “why is this happening to me?” It’s been my lifetime dream to become a Mom and now I can’t afford to do it? Adrian and I both want children and can’t accept that this is our fate.

The medical costs are mounting and my ability to work is decreasing. This cancer has taken over my life. I could not imagine that this is where I would be at age 28 and having to ask for money. I want to be able to begin this fight without the worry of this huge financial burden. While I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me, I want everyone to take this as a learning experience. I was lucky I caught it early enough and went to the doctor when I noticed something wrong. All of you ladies, please make sure to do your own breast exams on your own and if you aren’t sure, go to the doctor to get checked out! I will be forever grateful for your help and if you can’t help financially, please keep me in your prayers while I begin the fight of my life! #fightlikeagirl

https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/types/idc 

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/fertility-and-women-with-cancer/how-cancer-treatments-affect-fertility.html