May 23, 1999 was the awful day that I was told that I had breast cancer. Not expecting this, I was in shock. After losing my mother to breast cancer at 57, I started at age 30 and then at 40 every 6 mth mammograms. I could not drive home that day, so I walked trying to figure out why me? I ran 2 miles 5 days a week, taught aerobics 3 times per week and was in great physical condition. I immediately had a lumpectomy, 33 radiation treatments and Tamoxifen for 5 years. After enduring endless bad mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, and MRI's I decided to have the remaining breast and right breast mastectomies performed in 2010. I don't regret this decision, but it was a very, very, hard and physically demanding sx. I developed a lung embolism, allergic reaction to the expanders, anemia and fungal infection, treated intravenously at home with a PICC line for 6 weeks. I had the BRAC 1 and 2 genetic testing performed and thank God they were negative. Did I mention, I was also going through a divorce and alone during this time. Life does improve afterwards, it just takes time.
I use to worry daily about the cancer appearing in the remaining breast and what was left of the other, but after the B/L mastectomy, my life has improved 100% and I married again 11 years later to a wonderful understanding man.
We are all warriors and May God Bless us all.
Chattanooga, TN