Friday, 31 July 2026

a new and terrifying chapter. breast cancer

Set the scene.
Post Carnival 2026.still in euphoria, still tired but happy.
I now live in Fort lauderdale but take some extra time at home to deal with a landslide behind my house. 41st birthday comes and goes. Return to fll march 8th.

Cue the drama. Back strain on March 7 took me out for 10 weeks.
While on bed rest, I lose 10 lbs in 4 weeks after drinking some wonder of the world to manage my cholesterol 
Then..end of March..in the shower minding my business..a HUGE LUMP in my right boob

Me? Meh..its my period..let me wait till its over 
April..lump still there.. ok.lets go for my first ever Mammogram and Ultrasound.
Later in the week.. birads 5. 97% chance its cancer
Cue panic, doubt and disbelief. I have 0 family history..WTF is this.
A bout of work travel is lined up in April
June 19 - U/S guided needle biopsy
June 23 -results benign fibroadenoma 
Hooray! Fabulous! Celebrate good times!

Guadeloupe  July 4 to 7

Excision July 13

2nd path comes back..no no no my friend
DCIS, IDC grade 3. Aggressive

WTF!

Life as you know it stop at that point. You now enter a separate world of learning about chemo and the effects, buildings you never new existed which housed oncologist offices and MRI machines
Plastic surgeon consults, Breast surgeon consults, onco consults. 
All while trying to WORK, keep a good face, be positive, be there for friends and family and ofc keep the circle small. 
Cry cry cry. Panic. Calm. A rotation
Research. Cry cry. Panic Calm
Appointment..cry cry. Panic. Calm

Just had my first MRI on July 30th. This is the determining factor. Keeping positive that the treatment plan loosely sketched out is still valid. But understanding things can change on a dime..just like how a benign fibroadenoma can become grade 3 BC , ER/PR+, HER2- that will crash me into medical menopause
 Sigh

Cry cry cry.

For right now. The loose plan is
DMX , reconstruction, 4 months of chemo. 4 years of Hormone suppressants 


A new life in the blink of a lump

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