It was March 15, 2013 when I noticed a grape size lump in my left breast. I didn’t think anything of it because of course I just had a mammogram in November, which was normal. I have no family history of cancer. So I chalked it up to hormones, maybe a bad fitting bra? (what was I thinking). After all, I was in my 40’s. Then it doubled in size by April 1, 2013. I thought OH NO, it can’t be. Within a week, I had another mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy. My 'CALL' came at 822am on April 22,2013.
My reaction to the news was complete SILENCE. It was like the world stopped spinning. All I heard was my Doctor muttering a bunch of statistics and then he said “Monique, it’s really bad and you have to get it out soon”. I hung up and called my ‘rock’, my husband. He said “WE WILL get through it, I won’t let you go that easy”.
My first doctor said I would have surgery, chemo then radiation BUT something didn’t feel right. So I took a deep breath and discussed it with my daughter, husband, family & close friends. Together, we did some research. We found UCSD Moores Cancer Center. On May 15,2013, Dr. A Wallace proposed my options. She explained to me that I just didn’t have Breast Cancer, I had Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I may qualify for the ISPY2 Clinical Trial. I qualified and received the investigational drug. The trial required 16 weeks of chemo (12 for the trial + 4 traditional treatment) before a lumpectomy (neoadjuvant therapy), then 42 days of radiation! I told my husband that if my contribution can save future lives, I was all in! God has blessed me with the love of many friends & family!
The hardest part of this journey was telling our daughter, "Mom has cancer"! She tells me everyday to 'STAY STRONG'!
“God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference.”
San Diego, CA
