On March 3, 2016, I learned I had breast cancer, specifically Triple Negative Breast Cancer. It was an aggressive tumor, and my prognosis was not particularly positive. I was also 22 weeks pregnant with Finn.
After ten rounds of chemo, Finn was born perfectly healthy and amazing. I had six more rounds of chemo to go, and Finn was six days old when I returned to the infusion chair. I then had surgery, 33 rounds of radiation treatment, and six rounds of an oral chemo (weirdest side effect: I temporarily lost my fingerprints).
I consider March 1 my diagnosis day because that's the day my oncologist uses; it's the day I had the ultrasounds and biopsies that led to my diagnosis. And it's two days sooner.
At three years from diagnosis, the risk of a recurrence for my flavor of cancer drops significantly. It is a huge relief for me..for so long, it seemed like I would never reach this milestone. It is a bit surreal, and part of me wishes my oncologist did routine scans so I could know for sure something sinister isn't still lurking about (I understand why he doesn't, and I agree with it...as long as I don't give into the fear).
Five years is an even bigger milestone, and my risk of a recurrence of this cancer drops to about the risk of any woman developing breast cancer.
Still, that risk is one in eight.
I am the one in eight. I had breast cancer. Between 10-20% of breast cancers are triple negative, and about one in a thousand women are diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant.
Talk to your doctor about your risk and when you should start having mammograms. Check your breasts regularly. If you find something odd or new or different, ask your doctor. I had no known risk factors, no family history, no reason to suspect the lump I found was anything more significant than a clogged milk duct. If I had not mentioned it to my doctor...if my doctor had not taken it seriously...well, I don't want to go there right now.
Instead, have some pictures.
