Keshia Kemp
Survivor
On November 8th, I was doing my normal routine when I got out of the shower, the typically dry off lotion down. When I was applying lotion on my breast, I felt a large size lump the size of a golf ball and then I notice my under arm was very sore to touch. I looked in the mirror saw two lumps the size of walnuts. I instantly got worried and started praying. I had planned to hang out with family and friends so I decided to keep it to myself until I got to work on Monday morning. I asked a coworker, a breast doctor and my supervisor to look at the lumps. Their response was make an appointment ASAP with a worried look on their face. I made an appointment on November 17, received my first mammogram…..I knew in my heart something wasn’t right because everything was a shhh…..shhh from the staff along with whispers and sad looks. They continue to do my breast x-rays and ultrasound with a worried looks and fighting back tears. I continue to pray and ask God to cover me as I cried tears because I was so worried not for me but for my son. Finally, I was done with my mammogram and the radiologist came in the room with a disbelief look on his face saying we need to do a biopsy stat on you, he called my OB/GYN Dr. for orders and I returned back around 1pm to proceed with my biopsy. I remember different staff employees holding my hand whispers and wiping the tears from eyes saying it’s going to be ok. The Dr. took tissue samples from my breast and under my arm from my lymphnode along with putting in clips to mark the cancer area. I had to wait a couple of days for my results to come in and trust me it was the scariest feeling in the world.
Finally, On November 19, 2014, my Dr. called me and told me to please go to the Breast Care center get your x-rays along with the results and come see her ASAP. I did as she said, but before I went into her office I sat in my car reading the results to myself, it said HIGH GRADE CARCINOMA…….I instantly started crying in disbelief!!!! I got myself together then walked to my Dr. Office and gave them the results saying I already know as tears started pouring down my face. My Dr. grabbed me and hugged me saying “ Everything was going to be ok. It’s going to be ok” and started to tell me I was diagnosed with stage 2 Triple Negative Breast Cancer. When my Doctor spoke the words “YOU HAVE CANCER” I replied back saying I sure do not “THE BATTLE IS NOT MINE. IT’S THE LORD… I’M HEALED IN JESUS NAME”. She mention I had a slow a non-aggressive kind of Triple Negative breast cancer (HER2). I kept telling her I don’t have cancer I’m already healed in Jesus name, she said but you do and I repeat I’m already Healed in Jesus name.……..I have a son to live for and my little puppy….she then started to tell me what’s going to happen to me once I start chemotherapy from losing my hair, getting a Porta Cath, which is for chemo med’s and getting sick from the treatment. I looked at her and said I will not get sick going thru this IF YOU THINK POSITIVE YOU GET POSITIVE RESULTS.
Nov 24, 2014, I had surgery for my chemo port and Dec 3, 2014 was my first chemo I took it like a champ. It made me very sleepy but I knew with God on my side. I was going to be ok. I did a total of 9 rounds of chemo from Dec 3 till March 19th. I never got sick once going thru chemo, I worked every day beside the day I had chemo, along with finishing a semester in college. April 21, 2015, I had a right mastectomy with put a tissue expander in my breast, port removal and 19 lymph nodes removed, which one showed I still had 1 inch of cancer still left in my lymph node. I also had to stay overnight in the hospital with 4 drains attached to my breast for fluid output. So after my surgery, my oncologist requested I do 4 more rounds of chemo to make sure all the cancer cells were gone. I did 6 weeks of radiation in the meantime from June to July every day, along with weeks of physical therapy to get full range of motion in my arms. While waiting for my next rounds of chemo, I got a call out of the blue, I was picked to dance with the Houston Texans for the Breast Cancer Survivor dance during half time October 8th”The big Thursday Night Game”. It was an awesome experience and I’m forever grateful.
Finally I had to undergo another surgery on October 19th, 2015 for a new chemo port to complete the last 4 rounds of chemo from October 2015 till Jan 2016. I got sick on Christmas Eve because normally I would go home and lay down to sleep but no I decided to get up and cook which was a mistake. I got really sick, I didn’t tell my mother because I didn’t want her to worry. I was also invited to Modeling in a fashion show for Sister Network Nonprofit Black organization, while doing several speaking event on the radio GMT 90.3. Throughout this whole process, I have had so many setbacks from lab work, surgeries, and some personal issues that kept happening but I had to remember who was in control and it was God who taught me patience and perseverance, one thing I never did was question God when I found out about my breast cancer “I said thank you for a second chance at life”. I can truly say I had a great support system from home and work. Breast cancer has really changed my outlook on life. I’m grateful that God chose me to battle breast cancer, one of his strongest soliders for this journey. My faith in God is so much stronger and knowing that “We DEFEAT cancer and cancer doesn’t DEFEAT us”. As of today I’m healed and currently getting ready for my last breast cancer surgery on November 8th the same day I found the breast lumps!!! I said its God’s ways of saying it’s my ALPHA to my OMEGA of Breast Cancer Journey now go live your life and follow your purpose I assigned to you!!!! “Walking Testimony and help those who’s battling Breast Cancer” ISAIAH 41:10……“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.