AB x Living Beyond Breast Cancer: Part Two

(Above from Left to Right: Becky, Marla, Tracy)

Becky: 

Thank you for the opportunity to tell my story. It actually started when I was 18 years old when I found my first lump. I had my first surgery and 6 months later found another lump followed by another surgery. Now this was back in 1978, so that was your only option. There weren't even mammograms at the time. As years passed I had 12 lumps removed and milk ducts also removed. I think the scary part of this story was when I was away on a hockey trip with my sons and I woke up in a hotel and noticed my nipples were draining. Now if you know that is probably one of the first questions they ask you when you are getting an examination, so trust me I was upset. When seeing my doctor he said to be safe, let's remove the milk ducts so I did. At that time Breast Cancer was not in my family history so I would get regular check ups and of course when mammograms were available I did that. My first mammogram was at the age of 25. Boy did I get looks in the office. As the years passed, unfortunately Breast Cancer hit my family. It was now on both sides of my family tree. The hardest was my mom who had beat the battle and 7 years later it returned. She passed away in 2005. With the advice of my doctor, I made the biggest decision of my life. I had a preventative double mastectomy in 2006. My surgery was done to be reconstructed but after getting an infection I changed my decision to not be reconstructed. So my chest is not a pretty sight. I had the best response the other day from my youngest son who said, "Thank you."  I asked for what, he said, "For saving your life so you could be here." Wow that just hit me, but I guess I did. I have never taken a pic of my chest but I will share a pic of just me. Thank you for letting me share my story.

Marla:

I found a lump in December of 2010, diagnosed with breast cancer 2A. I had a lumpectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation. I work full time as a consultant, traveling every week, it's crazy! Exactly 5 years later my tumor marker displayed signs of more cancer. I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in October 2015 in my liver. I took an oral chemotherapy drug for 9 months to shrink the tumor, followed by an ablation to remove the tumor. One month later I was told that my estrogen-progesterone cancer was changing to HER2/HER3 cancer and I needed chemotherapy AGAIN. I worked through my second go-around with cancer but eventually couldn't handle the side effects of the drug. I will receive monthly infusions for the rest of my life. I have been cancer free since 2016. I exercise 4 days a week, spin class and personal training. My life is not the same as side effects sometimes get the best of me but I keep on pushing myself as I have a second chance to enjoy life. 

Tracy:

My name is Tracy and I'm a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed at 36 years old with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma in my left breast. The cancer was HR positive, HER2 negative and I was negative for the BRCA gene. For my peace of mind, I decided to have a double mastectomy with reconstruction. I then underwent 5 years of hormone supression which put me into menopause. I'm grateful to be here after six and a half years cancer free! I wish I could say this whole nightmare is behind me, but I think about cancer every day. Thank you for making breast cancer a priority on your IG Account. Sharing stories and spreading awareness is so important, especially early detection and self exams. I am happy to share my story. 

Katrin:

When I received my bilateral cancer diagnosis I very quickly decided to have a double mastectomy and go flat. There was virtually no time to process that decision. But afterwards, as I began to meet other "flatties" online, I started to learn about the many ways in which women are pressured to undergo reconstruction or are deprived of the smooth flat result that they had every right to expect. I kept thinking about the women who were coming behind me, having to make surgical decisions with far too little time and information. So I set out to write a comprehensive guide book to help the recently diagnosed, navigate all their surgical options. In May, I published "Flat and Happy: Mastectomy and Flat Closure - A Personal, Practical Guide." It is the book I wanted to read when I was trying to figure out whether I would be happy going flat. As the title suggests it proved to be an excellent choice for me, I've never once regretted it. I hesitate to call myself a breast cancer warrior. In truth, my breast cancer journey was easy in comparison to many. I had no chemo, no radiation, and no lymph node involvement. Writing the book, on the other hand, was a massive endeavor that consumed 2 and a half years. But it was the true labor of love, and I know that it is already helping other women feel more confident and secure in their decision making. So, maybe what I am is an information warrior. A trust your instincts warrior, a listen to women warrior. A flat is beautiful warrior. Thank you for this campaign. It's time we all came out of the shadows and owned our life experiences, and I so appreciate everything you are doing to make that happen.