When I was 35, I made it a priority to schedule my annual mammograms because my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer at just 50. In early 2018, I discovered a lump during a breast self-exam. I immediately shared this with my OB/GYN, who referred me to a breast surgeon. After a mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy, I received the devastating news that I, too, had breast cancer.
My initial treatment plan included a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and five years of Tamoxifen. However, after two surgeries failed to achieve clean margins, I chose to undergo a mastectomy rather than continue with further breast reduction surgeries.
At the time, I was a single mother caring for my mom, who was battling metastatic breast cancer. The emotional weight of my diagnosis was compounded by the f