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To Whom It May Concern:
I was living my best life in New York City in my twenties and began my career by managing a cancer center. A few years later, my life took an unexpected turn on July 17, 2019 when I was diagnosed with stage Ib hormone positive breast cancer (ER+/PR+/HER2-) at the age of 27 with no family history.
Since then, I froze my eggs, had a bilateral mastectomy, underwent 14 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, and had port placement and port removal surgeries. I underwent rigorous physical therapy and got breast implants via plastic surgery. After completing chemotherapy, I began my 10-year hormone therapy journey to hopefully prevent recurrence.
1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. This disease does not discriminate. It impacts women of all races, ages, and genetic makeup. Due to the rising incidence and my desire to increase awareness on breast cancer in young women, I decided to create this blog to document my experience and provide as much information as possible.
I write all of this not to be self-serving or demand pity but to hopefully reach other young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. My one and only mission is this: I hope this blog lands in the hands of at least 1 young woman with breast cancer who may feel fearful, and I hope I can help her feel less alone throughout her fight.
I was hesitant to publicize my journey because I did not want to seem unfit for work as a rising professional, misrepresent the breast cancer community, and be defined as the girl who had cancer. As time went on, I realized I should use my voice as a young woman and my experience as an oncology manager to raise awareness on what cancer truly looks like from my unique perspective.
I wholeheartedly gave cancer my middle finger, and I realized I should have no problem doing the same to the negative voices in my head. There are so many facets to cancer, and I want to share my views in a youthful and relatable manner. As soon as I was diagnosed, I resorted to the internet to educate myself and found that most breast cancer resources out there are geared toward women 40+ years old. I ended up feeling empty-handed, more upset, and ultimately alone.
I lost count of the number of times I’ve been pricked, sliced, scanned, medicated, and infused. I lost my hair. I lost my breasts. I lost precious time in my twenties. Despite this, I never lost my resilience and gained far more than I could have ever imagined. I am happy to announce that I am now cancer-free, and I am excited to revisit this season in my life with you. Through God’s grace, I am healthy. I am thriving. I’m a warrior. I’m a survivor.
I decided to take a leap of faith and launch my blog today, July 17, 2020, to mark the one-year anniversary of my diagnosis. Whether you’ve been affected by breast cancer or not, I hope you follow along as I write about my cancer journey retroactively and document my life after cancer in real time. I also hope you keep my blog in your back pocket for a rainy day and share it with someone who may need it in the future. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Breast regards,
Michelle
