BREAST CANCERVERSARY-LUCKY 13

HAPPY LUCKY 13TH CANCERVERSARY TO ME!

Thirteen years ago today, I woke up in a hospital bed minus one tumor and two breasts—and somehow, more hopeful than ever. July 1st will always be my day. Not because it was easy, but because it was the day I officially began healing.

If you’re new here, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer on June 14, 2013. Just over two weeks later, I underwent an eight-hour surgery to remove the tumor and have a double mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. It was a crash course in courage and surrender, and finding little moments of humor and silver linings in places I never expected.

For those who aren’t familiar, Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer that doesn’t respond to hormone therapies because it lacks estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. It grows quickly, treatment is often more aggressive, and it disproportionately affects younger women and Black women. Some women are diagnosed in their 20s.

Every year on this day, I remind you to get your mammograms. This year, I was reminded why I never want to stop saying it.

Just last week, I felt something about the size of a BB on my cancer side. Even after thirteen years, my stomach felt sick. I had an ultrasound that seemed to go on forever. Then the radiologist came in and told me he saw something else (besides what I had felt) that needed a closer look. That meant attempting a mammogram on a reconstructed breast with virtually no breast tissue. Three technicians worked together, pulling what little skin I have while pushing my implant back just to get enough tissue into the machine.

Then came the hardest part. Waiting.

For thirty minutes, I sat there reliving emotions I hadn’t felt in years. My blood pressure (which was a little elevated from being there) climbed from 120/73 to 158/82 in less than an hour. It was as if my body remembered everything before my mind even had time to process it. Survivors often talk about PTSD after cancer, and in that moment, I understood exactly why. Cancer has a way of teaching your body to remember fear, even as your life moves forward. I realized that while I’ve healed physically, there will probably always be moments that take me right back to that hospital room thirteen years ago.

Thankfully, the results came back as “probably benign.” The radiologist believes what they’re seeing is most likely scar tissue or changes from my reconstruction, but they’ll repeat the imaging in six months to be certain. Of course, I’ll be there. Because that’s what cancer teaches you.

You don’t ignore something because you hope it’s nothing.

You check.

You ask questions.

You advocate for yourself.

My original tumor didn’t even show up on a mammogram. A sharp-eyed radiologist noticed a suspicious calcification and insisted on a biopsy. That biopsy saved my life. If he hadn’t taken one extra look, I might not be writing this today.

So I’ll keep saying it.

 Get your mammograms.

 Check your breasts regularly.

 If something feels different, don’t talk yourself out of it. Get it checked.

 And if your instincts tell you something isn’t right, keep asking questions until you get answers.

Please tell your daughters, daughters-in-law, nieces, granddaughters, sisters, and friends. Breast cancer doesn’t always wait until you’re over 40.TNBC does not discriminate in age! Early detection and paying attention to your own body truly can save your life.

Thirteen years later, I’m healthy. I’m grateful. I’m living a life I love.

One of the greatest gifts to come from my diagnosis has been connecting with so many women walking this same road. If you’re newly diagnosed—or know someone who is—and you need someone to listen, encourage you, or simply remind you that there is life after cancer, my inbox is always open. I didn’t have that kind of support when I was going through treatment, and if I can be that person for someone else, it would be an honor.

People sometimes ask if I’d erase this chapter of my life if I could. The answer still surprises me. I wouldn’t. I would never choose cancer, and I certainly don’t recommend it. But it changed me in ways I never could have imagined. It taught me gratitude, perspective, faith, and what truly matters. It makes every ordinary day feel extraordinary.

So today, on my 13th cancerversary, I’m celebrating life.

And I’ll keep telling this story for as long as I have the privilege to tell it—because if it encourages even one woman to schedule that appointment or trust her instincts, then every anniversary is worth sharing.

Here’s to another year of health, hope, and gratitude! Thank you all for reading.

Have a wonderful day! Stay well and be safe! xx

PS…Since this is partly a fashion blog, I wanted to share the details of my outfit. Both pieces come in black and ivory.

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