In 2004 I started riding Saddleseat with my daughter: one of my passions as a kid was riding horses, and now that she was 7 it was time to share that passion with her while I reengaged in the sport. After riding for a few months, I felt a large lump under my left arm. I had just had a clear mammogram so was sure it could not be BRCA. Finally saw the MD because the axillary lump kept getting larger. I was diagnosed with Stage III, Triple Negative Breast Cancer, underwent mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. I managed to continue riding horses with my daughter through treatment.
I survived and thrived. It has been six years since diagnosis and I have no evidence of disease. I continue to share horseback riding with my daughter and we both enjoy the mental and physical health benefits the sport provides. Riding horses literally saved my life - without that constant posture required by the discipline the cancer would not have been found...
San Marcos, CA
