My story of BC

I decided to share my story with all of you and hopefully to help many... First of all pardon my grammar mistakes if any. However, English is my second language and I hope I am not too bad in it.



Okay, I am 41 years old, with no history of breast cancer in my family...actually no history of any cancer. In October of 2012 I was laid off from my job due to relocation. So, my medical insurance was active until November 30, 2012 and I decided that I need to go for mammogram.

A doctor's prescription was somewhere in my car since August , and the reason I got the prescription was that my doctor suggested to check it since I'm over 40... My first mammogram was done when I was 38, everything was fine then.

Well, on November 23 I went to hospital, and in one week after I was called in for another mammogram and ultrasound... From that moment...deep inside I knew that something was wrong. After the ultrasound, many imagies and three biopsies (one in my left and two in my right) I was diognosed with 8 mm IDC in my left breast. Now, it is December ... Christmas time, my daughter's birthday party, being unemployed, paying for Cobra, looking for a good surgeon, thinking that mastectomy is the only way I should go with, daily Skyping with my parents, reading Internet about horrible outcomes and good and bad stories, having panic attacks, driving my boyfriend crazy with my depressed face (he helped me so much!), thinking what my 8 yo daughter is going to do when I'm gone, talking to my 21 yo son, and again and again reading Internet about cancer and cancer and only cancer. it was bad...I started taking Xanax ...very low dose...it did help a little.

Well, after talking with three doctors and all of them suggested that I should go with lumpectomy. On January 16 I had surgery...the surgery was done (in my opinion) by the best doctor and for those who is looking for a doctor , and who live in New York or New Jersey... Debbie Capco is the one. I saw two doctors before her...but from the moment she woked in...without even saying anything I felt such a strong energy, she is very to the point... Very strong personality, I am very happy with the outcome... The scar is small and almost gone.

So, after the surgery I had radiation treatments ( I was lucky that no chemo was needed)... I gained 10 pounds and was extremely tired... I was so worried to gain more weight and especially knowing that there is a chance to get even more when I start hormone therapy.

Now... there is another doctor who helped me to get motivated and forced me to go to gym. Helen Sidebotham...radiologist...and with all honesty she got me out of my depression.

Now I am in gym every day, running and jogging on treadmill for one hour. If someone would told me years ago that I will enjoy doing it...I would probably thought the person is crazy...

I lost 17 pounds from April 9... I feel great, my body is much better than 15 years ago. So, for those who is in denial...and thinking it is not possible, and for those who blaming tamoxifen for the weight gain...I can prove you wrong.

However, yes I have mood swings, hot flashes sometimes and headaches...but you can deal with it.. You just have to get angry, tell your self that you are the only one who can help yourself. Get your confidence back and for those who never had it...get one!

Here is how I see my cancer experience... I am the luckiest person in the world because it happened to me, not to my children or my parents, not to the people I love. I don't analyze why cancer choose me...it just happened. I am sure many of you see life differently now... think about...some people go to work and never coming back home, but you are here, and you will get better, everything is possible. And you are the one who can make it possible.

Good luck to everyone!