My name is Carrie and I was
diagnosed with a Stage II, grade 4 breast cancer on April 16,
2001 at the age of 24. I found a lump in my right
breast a week before Easter. I went to see my doctor
right away. My family has a severe history of cancer.
I lost my mother when I was 15 to ovarian and she had lost her
sister to breast cancer, other sister to leukemia, son and a
niece to a brain tumor, father to liver cancer and her mother
to ovarian. My doctor sent me for a mammogram right
away.
I had my mammogram the
following Monday and late that afternoon, my doctor called me
and wanted to see me right away. When I got to her
office she told me the results of my test weren't good and the
radiologist stated that it was highly suggestive of
malignancy. I was then sent to my surgeon to schedule
the removal of the tumor. He discussed all options with
me and we decided that we would have a pathologist present at
the time of the surgery. On April 16, 2001, I had my
breast biopsies done and when I awoke from surgery, my life
was forever changed.
My mastectomy was scheduled for
April 27, 2001. On the night of the 18th, my surgeon
called me at 11pm. He told me the results of my path
report. My cancer was far to aggressive to wait until
the 27th for surgery. On April 20, 2001, I had a double
radical mastectomy. I opted to take the left breast as
well even though there was no cancer in it. My chances
of a recurrence were quite high. I was very strongly
HER2/NEU positive.
One week after my surgery, I
became very ill. My drain had become plugged and caused a
staph infection. I had to spend another 5 days in the
hospital. Soon after that, I went to see my oncologist.
We decided that I would take chemotherapy. I was going
to have 4 treatments of Adriamycin and Cytoxan and then 52
treatments of Herceptin. I am currently doing very well
and am starting the reconstruction phase. I still have
37 treatments of Herceptin left.
This diagnosis has changed my
life forever as well as my children's. I will never
forget what I have gone through and what other women go
through with this. I thoroughly believe that everything
happens to us for a reason. I believe that it has
happened to me so I can help others through my experience.
