Breast Cancer at 31!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Im Roxanne and here is my story.

My ex boyfriend had found a lump at 29 years old (at the time no insurance)but I didnt' think anything of it since I was only 31 (dumb I know)so when I was 30 I decided that I should go to Planned Parenthood for a GYN check up. I mentioned in passing that I had this lump in my left breast but the doctor was not concerned because of my age, the softness of if and it moved, so she said it was probably a fibro edema and i should worry.

One year later, June 30, 2005 (31 now) to be exact , I went to my regular GYN (had insurance now, again in passing I said oh i have this lump in my left breast and its getting bigger and he said that he wanted me to get a mammo and a Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy. Went to the hospital and my horror came true. BREAST CANCER.

I then was ordered to go for a PET and Bone Scan, Breast MRI, a Cat Scan and a Chest Exray stat.

All the results came in, ER+/PR- HER2- 4.7 cm grade 3 cancer. I couldn't believe it. I really guess I was nieve becuase I didn't think breast cancer happened to younger women (under 35) since you don't hear about any required testing under that age.

Well the Breast Center wanted me to be with the Chief of Breast Surgery. Once I met with her she referred me to my onc. Once the onc read my scans and chart she decided to do 4 rounds A/C and then 4 rounds taxol dose dense. She explained that i would go bald but the hair would grow back and there would be some side effects from the chemo. I was given an appointment to get a "port" put in which connected to my juglar vein in my neck.

Had my first chemo (still working less the day of chemo and day after) but my neck really hurt like i slept wrong. i couldnt' pick up my head but thought it was a side effect from the chemo. One week after my first chemo I went to the Doctor and she was like go see the the surgeon (who put my port in). More bad luck. I got a blood clot from the port and had to go to the hospital for 5 days. They took the port out and gave me something called a PICC line which ladies is the worst thing ever. It is external port on your arm and it is a pain. I hated it.

Needless to say, I went through all 8 rounds of chemo (still working), all my hair fell out (was Uncle fester for halloween, had to use the bald head while I could), now were up to surgery time. The surgeon and onc decided lumpectomy node removal and radiation. ok Went throught the surgury (easiest part believe me) went back to work four days after surgery and then got the bad news. Even though did chemo first, they still found 2 cancers nodes so back to chemo I go this time 6 rounds gemzar/carbo cocktail. Went through that now im on 18 of 33 radiation treatments.

I felt like I was in a whirlwind but I have to say I was never scared, you would think you would be but I wasnt' I just did what the doctors said to "cure" me. I never gave up and stayed with a positive attitude. I always tell the nurses that I am way to busy to die. While all this was going on, I went away, lived my life, worked two jobs and bought a condo. Everyone deals with things differently and there is no right or wrong way but the way I lived I felt I actually lived and I am still here to tell about it which is the greatest gift of all.

Good luck and god bless everyone because its scary and a struggle but we do get through it.