Where did this all start?

During the beginning of my 3rd trimester, a lump popped up in my right breast. A quick Google search reassured me that it wasn’t uncommon for milk ducts to get blocked and present in such a way. I decided to have my OB check it anyway, and to be safe—she ordered an ultrasound.

The ultrasound showed unclean edges...which would NOT be typical in a cyst or fibroadenoma, nor did it look like a blocked duct.

The mammogram that followed was cloudy because of the milk coming in.

On November 6, 2020 I was told the biopsy showed cancer. Not JUST cancer...but Metaplastic Carcinoma, which makes up 1% or less of all breast cancer cases. Grade III tumor, meaning it grows aggressively. I was 32, pregnant with my first child, and after mostly coasting through a problem-free pregnancy to this point—things were crumbling.

My baby girl was delivered & is healthy after they induced me at 36 weeks—and she now has more hair than her mommy!

With no family history of breast cancer, and my BRCA 1 & 2 being negative for mutation...there’s no telling where this came from. So while the pregnancy hormones likely sped up the timeline for this rearing its ugly head, they also helped me catch this early.

All of this would be much more difficult if mine & my husband’s family weren’t helping with appointments, watching the baby, etc. Coworkers of mine have also been bringing meals once a week. The outpouring of love and support from so many places has been humbling.

The prime take-away from the tail-end of 2020 for me was this: focus on what is truly important.

Image source: HubbleSite