Hi! My name is Jennifer. In July of 2012, I was first diagnosed with stage 3B triple negative right breast cancer. I was only 38 years old; my daughter was just 1 and 1/2 and my son was 8. To say I was scared is an understatement. I was fearful I wouldn’t see my children grow up and that they would never know how much I love them.
My tumor was so large, it required 6 rounds of chemotherapy to shrink it before my double mastectomy. During the surgery, they found I had cancer in the other breast.
I was then diagnosed with Stage 2 HER-2 positive left breast cancer. Before my reconstructive surgery in November 2013 I had a scan and a biopsy that came back positive for cancer. It was the HER-2 positive cancer that spread and I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
I was devastated. A nightmare that became my reality. I didn’t think the tears would ever stop falling, but they did. Thankfully, I found strength and support through my faith, my family and my friends.
I also received help through different programs that support patients with cancer like Dance for the Cure. They are amazing people that have survived cancer themselves and volunteers that devote their time to give back to strangers.
Dance for the Cure’s generosity helped me pay for medications and medical copays. I can’t thank them enough for the difference they made for me and my family. It has been a difficult journey going through endless treatments including chemo, radiation, surgeries and clinical trials.
I know God still has purpose for my life and he is always with me. For that I am most grateful. I live my life being thankful and finding the good in every day. I am so blessed it has been easy to do because there is so much good in the world. I can’t choose my circumstances, but everyday I choose to have faith & hope. I am a 12 plus year cancer survivor and I believe by God’s grace, the cure for cancer will come.
Are you or someone you know struggling due to a breast cancer diagnosis?
We would like to help. Please visit https://www.danceforthecure.org/get-help
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