Personal Stories
Navigating a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can bring a wide range of emotions. The physical and mental toll is often overwhelming, and it can be difficult to find moments of peace and positivity. However, through these challenges, there are countless stories of resilience, hope and faith that inspire.
Sierra has a history of fibroadenomas, which are benign breast tumors, so when she felt a lump in her breast in late 2022, she assumed that’s what she was feeling. But the more she felt it, she realized that it didn’t feel like a fibroadenoma usually felt.
Regular scans during breast cancer treatment can help identify if the cancer is responding to treatment – or when breast cancer has recurred. In the lead up time to scans, people often feel a sense of anxiety – or scanxiety. Fortunately, there are tools available to some that may help identify breast cancer recurrence.
For Wisconsin mom of three and firefighter Bizzy Smith, 2022 was a whirlwind of emotions, beginning with receiving the call that she and her best friend and fellow firefighter Sunny Pulver had been cast as a team on season 36 of “The Amazing Race.” The year would end with her struggling for a diagnosis for the lumps in her left breast.
In a small, rural town in southern Minnesota, Cyndi spent her days as a wife, mother and high school English teacher. In 2018, after she tried everything to mitigate persistent rib pain, she had an appointment that set her on a path she never anticipated.
Tiffy was just 29 when she learned she had breast cancer. “I didn’t have to worry about my medical bills, but I couldn’t afford daily expenses,” she said. She turned to Komen’s Financial Assistance Program and was approved for a grant. “That gave me the ability to breathe for just a moment,” Tiffy said. “I could think about my own well-being.”
When it comes to advocacy in the breast cancer community, few stories are as inspiring as that of Dr. Vondalyn Wright, affectionately known as Dr. Von. Her breast cancer diagnosis and her unwavering support for others facing the disease have made her an inspiration for people like Princess, who discovered Dr. Von while caring for her grandmother.
Jaya Kataria’s son, Rishi, was just 13 when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. After watching her perseverance in the face of her illness, Rishi knew he wanted to give back to the breast cancer community, which is when he launched Pillars of Hope and began making candles to raise money to support Susan G. Komen’s mission to end breast cancer forever.
Jasmine was diagnosed with stage 2b triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma shortly after her 38th birthday. “I chose to face the challenge with all the courage I never knew I had. Through sickness, financial despair, traveling out of state and missing work for 19 months, I made it,” she said.
Marianne had a new job and was planning her wedding when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. “Just two weeks later, I learned it had spread to my lungs,” Marianne said. “I actually had stage 4 (metastatic) breast cancer.”
When Janay felt a lump in her breast, she reached out to her doctor immediately. After weeks of testing, she learned she had stage 2 triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma. “It was detected relatively early, but it was aggressive,” Janay said. “I knew the road ahead would be tough.”
The feeling that something was wrong with her body nagged at Valerie. She was active and overall very healthy. “I think people thought I was crazy, but I had this constant inner feeling that I had cancer,” she recalled. She was 34 and had no family history of breast cancer. And yet the feeling just kept tugging at her, so she chose to listen to her body. “I knew something wasn’t right,” she said. “I’ve always been very healthy. I believe it’s important to connect with your mind and body.”
