My Story

When I was faced with my breast cancer, the first question I asked was am I going to die? I was told no I’m not and my medical oncologist and my breast surgeon kept reassuring me it would be ok. Then came time to discuss reconstruction and I was again scared out of my mind and my husband and young daughter were equally afraid. By the time the kids are in the 8th grade they are so smart. My daughter explained the genetics to me because they just had that in their science class at the time. So what was really bothering me, it was the fear of the unknown. I didn’t know what was going to happen and I was petrified~~i didn’t know how my life was going to change. After the surgery I really experienced no pain at all as it was well managed. My plastic surgeon did a phenomenal job. My reconstruction is beautiful and by the time he was done I had not one visible scar. So what did I learn from all of this? I learned a couple of things. I learned that I needed to stay focused and as positive as I could during this trying time in my life. I had everything going for me because I didn’t require any chemo or radiation. I have a husband and daughter who love me very much. Someone told me that I had to have faith in the doctor that I chose to reconstruct and I did. I placed my trust in him and never looked back. Of course he came highly recommended by one of his other patients who wrote a newspaper article about him talking about how great he was so when the time came there was no einnie meinie mighty mo, I knew who I wanted to be my doctor. In the end, I am still the same person who I was before all of this started. My husband and daughter still love me very much; I try keeping a positive spin on life and I try to enjoy something everyday!