When Plans Do NOT Go Your Way: My First Brush with Cancer

When I thought I was healthy and ready to start my business...

In January of 2023 (Happy New Year!), I established my business as an LLC on the first. Then about the third week of January, I was taking a bath and felt a small pea-sized lump on the outside of my left breast. Figures, right?! Why not now when I have SO many plans!

Now, I usually have dense breast tissue, but this lump was non-tender, hard, and did not go away after my cycle passed. Luckily, my annual mammogram was already scheduled (welcome to your 40's). The mammogram was abnormal (of course), so they did an ultrasound. Then I had to come back nine days later for a biopsy (the anticipation was splendid). Three biopsies taken (right next to my implant), and another week or so of waiting.

The Results

When you are waiting for something like this, your mind goes to the worst place (expectedly). My OBGYN's office called asking if I was okay...was I not supposed to be okay? They did not understand why the biopsy was not done right away. I told them the office was busy but the biopsy was scheduled. The appointment was also "coded" as suspected malignancy to trigger a biopsy visit.

That same night when I was thinking about all this, my dog was lying with me, and I felt a round and movable lump on the right side of her face when I was petting her that was the size of a marble. I had a quiet breakdown before bed that night. My daughter had fainted earlier in the month and MRI confirmed a cyst on her pituitary gland. So, my daughter, my biopsy, and now my dog???

It was 12:10 a.m. a few nights later and my husband asked about my results because no one had called me yet. Ladies (and gents), check your chart and advocate for yourself because there are so many patients to keep track of. So, at 1215 a.m., before bed, I checked my chart and saw the results of "stage one invasive ductal cell carcinoma." I had to read that a few times to understand the result and what I was reading.

My mother just had her second lumpectomy and radiation last summer. My mom's sister just had a mastectomy and chemo and is on tamoxifen for ten years. My mom's mom also had a mastectomy several years ago. I was barking up the wrong tree trying to be proactive on colonoscopies.

My mom is afraid of the side effects of tamoxifen as am I, but we will both most likely have to take the meds because we have estrogen receptor positive cells.

Coping

How do you even cope with the C word? The week after we read the results, my husband and I both experienced five stages of grief in five days, taking turns on who was being optimistic. I am glad we took turns so we could support each other. We went to a local cancer center and were not impressed.

I reached out to multiple women who have gone through breast cancer, and I did realize how many women have experienced such a traumatic thing. You also do not really realize how real something is until you go through it yourself.

I decided to transfer to the KU Med cancer center because they have a breast cancer team and department that function well together and communicate often. The nurse navigator explained everything to me and was very calm and comforting. She scheduled all my appointments and sent me a packet with my schedule and pictures and names of my providers. Let's just say I was beyond impressed and felt like it was a good decision to drive an hour one way for these appointments.

Time to Clean House

I contacted my functional medicine doctor since I had not spoken to him in a while as a patient since I got rid of my fibromyalgia, IBS, and significantly reduced my migraines. We did a refresher on things that cause genetic mutations, including plastics that are xenoestrogens and hidden sources of petroleum or coal tar. I have been using a plastic water bottle every day and Kirk's body wash that I got from Natural Grocers which contains naphtha which is used to make moth balls (among other things). I cleaned out my shower and bathroom shelf with anything that had the word benz in it (petroleum), and some beautiful friends from work got me a glass water bottle, beeswax bowl covers, and a beautiful and encouraging placard. I have started drinking smoothies made from organic, and non-GMO fruits and vegetables each morning with a tea blend that has jasmine, white, and oolong tea for synergistic effects. I redid my IgE finger prick blood test to see what foods my body was recognizing as foreign invaders due to molecular mimicry. I did not eat a lot of red meat to begin with due to my family history of colon cancer, and I cut down on chicken and fish. When I have fish or poultry, it is organic and wild caught; the less harmful options the better until I am clear of this.

The Future

Moving forward, the best I can do is keep the right mindset. I made a daily practice of mindfulness and meditation to stay grounded and manage stress. I will continue to eat as raw and naturally as possible, get proper sleep, and will continue to exercise regularly and manage my stress. I enjoy lifting weights and will continue before and after to aid in my healing time and recovery before and after surgery. Ultimately, God is in control, and I will continue to seek His blessings in everything.