In January 2022, I turned 40 years old. After a yearly checkup, my
primary care physician asked me to go for my first yearly mammogram. I
made the appointment but due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable
to make that appointment. I then prolonged the appointment for as long as I
could, as I had heard many stories about it being painful and uncomfortable,
so I waited it out. In August 2022, I drew up the courage to finally go. It
wasn’t as terrible as I expected, and the staff was great. About 2 weeks
later, I received a call explaining they found a mass and they wanted to have
more images taken and an ultrasound done on my right breast.

The week after, I went in for the appointment and they discovered
calcifications after several images. They explained I needed a biopsy to
ensure it was not cancer. They explained normally since this is the first scan
and have nothing else to go by, there was nothing to worry about. A few
days later, I went in for a biopsy. Once I was done, the nurses at the facility
explained that my primary care physician would call me to come in for the
results, whether they were good or bad. I received a call the next day asking
me to come in the next day. When I got there, I went into the room with my
head high thinking, “I’m only 40. I’m too young to get this. Everything will be
fine.” When I went back, my doctor came into my room and asked if I knew
why I was there. I nodded. She had given me the worse news I had ever
received. The biopsy came back that I had DCIS or Stage 0 Breast Cancer. I
was devastated. I had 3 children and was a single mom. I was shocked about
the news and broke down crying in the room with my doctor. She hugged
me and gave me hope and a book explaining what breast cancer is and
exactly what I was to expect. I left there and didn’t know what to do or who
to call. I called my sister and cried with her on the phone on my way back
home.

When I got home, my children were all there and saw that I had been
crying. I couldn’t even look at them. I ran upstairs to my bathroom and
locked the door until I had the courage to come out with a clean face. When
I went back down, I asked my children to sit together so I could speak with
them. My youngest sat next to me while my other two children sat across
from me. I explained my situation and my oldest son (12 years old at the
time) began crying and asked if I was going to die. I hugged him and
immediately told him I was going to be fine. I explained that I needed
surgery to take out the cells and it would be a process going forward. I
showed the children the book that I was given and explained to them what
was expected to happen. They calmed down.

When I went to the oncologist shortly after, she explained how
important it is to keep up with yearly mammograms. She said if I had waited
any longer, the cancer could have been worse and/or spread. At this point, I
am glad that I did not wait any longer to have it checked. On October 21 st ,
2022, I had a lumpectomy of my right breast to remove the calcifications
and have been cancer free since. After the surgery, I was tested to see if I
needed chemotherapy and/or radiation. After they tested the cells, the
radiologist came back with wonderful news. The cells came back that I only
had a 7% chance of the cancer returning with or without radiation or chemo,
so she stated I did not need either

My message to the world is to keep up with your appointments and
your health. Ladies, please do not wait to get a mammogram. You may not
feel any lumps or have any issues currently, but it can still be there.
Gentlemen, please ensure your sisters, wives, girlfriends, and any other
woman in your life, goes to see their doctor to be screened. It can be a
matter of life and death.