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Stephanie Diagnosed at age 35

Stephanie

Stephanie Diagnosed at age 35

"I hope anyone getting started with their cancer journey will read this and know that no matter how bad things look things can still turn around."

Stephanie

I starting having symptoms in 2015 (32 years old). My left breast started leaking a clear fluid. I had a sonogram and an MRI which all came back fine. I ended up seeing my general doctor, gyno, two endocrine specialists, and a breast specialist - all saying everything looked good. In August of 2017 I noticed that the tissue on the top part of my left breast became firm and I went back in to have another sonogram, mammogram, and MRI. I received news from my breast specialist that all was fine and nothing to be concerned about. When I went back to my new general physician January 2018, they recommended I get a second opinion. I saw a new breast specialist and within 12 hours I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Seven cm tumor, triple negative. (I will never understand how a seven cm tumor was missed.) Since I had aggressive breast cancer for sure back in 2017 (my new medical team pulled my 2017 tests and confirmed) and it had been going untreated, my oncologist had prepared me that it had probably metastasized. Things were looking pretty bleak and the outcome not so good.

But God is great!! My test showed that my cancer had not spread and it had not impacted my lymph nodes. I underwent five months of chemotherapy that shrunk my tumor from seven cm to zero. When I had my double mastectomy there were zero cancer cells present in both my breast tissue and the four lymph nodes that were removed. I will be undergoing six to seven weeks of daily radiation as a precautionary measure, and I have also started the reconstruction process. I hope anyone getting started with their cancer journey will read this and know that no matter how bad things look things can still turn around. It's all in God's hands. Stay positive, know how strong you are, and kick cancers butt! :)


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