You are probably wondering what this site is all about. How could there be a site that combines a wonderful event in a young mom's life and a terrible disease. It can't happen right? Well it can and it has, to me. I am a 34 year old mom with a 13 month old boy and wonderful husband. We celebrated the birth of our son and I decided to nurse him for the past 13 months. I never thought the weaning process would involve a biopsy and breast cancer diagnosis. It sounds scary, believe me it is, but unfortunately this happens to young mothers.
I found a lump in my breast over the summer. I asked my husband to take a look, my husband is a general surgeon and handles breast cancer surgery. He thought it felt concerning and told me to get an ultrasound. Of course we both felt it must be a clogged milk duct. We went to the ultrasound a couple of weeks later and were told it was a clogged milk duct, in fact the doctor in charge felt so good about it he did not feel a biopsy was necessary. I was so relieved! Of course it would be a clogged milk duct! What else could it be?
My husband told me to sign up for a follow up ultrasound a couple of months later, which I felt would be wise. Over the course of the next couple of months I started to wean my son, however the lump was staying the same size. I felt it should be getting smaller but it was not. I asked other moms about it and looked up online information on clogged milk ducts and they did not match up with my situation. I went to the final ultrasound a couple of months later. The tech looked at the lump and left the room mumbling the doctor was going to want to biopsy. It was then I knew that this was not a clogged milk duct. The doctor came in and told me she the lump had grown a small amount and there were some concerning borders. She wanted to biopsy the lump right then. I was stunned. This could not be happening to me!
The doctor did the biopsy and a few days later the report came back that I indeed had an aggressive form of breast cancer, although the tumor is about 2 cm, which may put me in at an early stage.
I will be starting my journey this week. I hope to have surgery this week and recover with a full stint of chemotherapy.
I have decided to keep a blog during my journey so I can make other young nursing mothers aware of the possibility of breast cancer. I almost decided to not go in for the second ultrasound and wait a few months, which could have put me in the later stages. I was told by many people and websites lumps are common and there is no need to worry. I want to make young mothers aware so maybe a life will be saved!!! Please follow my journey with me or lend me support as I make my way to being cancer free.
I think this is an amazing gift you are giving to others, sharing your experience. It's a testament to your strength and compassion for others. You will be supported by those near and far throughout your journey and you will touch the lives of many. Keep your chin up, keep your faith strong and keep fighting!
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Have you met with an oncologist yet? If not, I urge you to do so. Chemotherapy may NOT be necessary. I had bc last year (dx 10/2010) and I was seriously overdiagnosed prior to surgery. Once the final results were in, it was determined that I did not need chemotherapy due to my low Oncotype score. I was on the fence about it anyway, so that was a relief to not be pressured into it. I was told I could be Stage 3 and the reality was Stage 1 (no lymph node invasion and I only had a sentinel node biopsy.)
ReplyDeleteDo as much research as you can stomach and make sure your doctors are on YOUR side. Remember it is YOUR body, and only you can make the decision as to how it is treated!
Good luck and will be thinking of you!