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Health Interests

Breast Cancer,  Breast Cancer Partners

Drugs I am Taking

tamoxifen

About Me

I play soccer, run, lift weights, work tirelessly as a single mom, work two, sometimes three jobs to make ends meet and I have…no health insurance. I have always been consistent with my mammograms, which I receive through the Mammography Voucher Program, or MVP. On April 4, a biopsy from the results of a questionable mammogram revealed invasive ductile carcinoma in my right breast. I was shocked and sad that my body had betrayed me. As a result of my biopsy, it was hard to keep my arms up, and that rendered me unable to work. MVP referred me to the Pinellas County Health Program. They referred me to one of their surgeons, who said he could provide me with a mastectomy with no reconstruction. Although the federal government mandated insurance carriers to provide a woman with the option of breast reconstruction, the county program is not mandated, and the MVP program does not have the funds. Thankfully, before the county program suffered a huge budget cut by the state this past October, I was able to get a referral from the county surgeon, who was not comfortable treating my cancer, to go to Moffitt Cancer Center. I met with Dr. John Kiluk, a surgeon at the Moffitt Breast Center. The first words out of his mouth were, “Do not worry about anything” and that his job was first, to eradicate the cancer and second, to make me look good. He presented to me my options based on my pathology reports, and it was my choice how to approach the surgical aspects of the treatment. Dr. Kiluk ordered bone and cat scans. In retrospect, I know that my breasts do not define me. However, a wave of nostalgia swept over me as I remembered breast-feeding both my children and thinking about my figure-flattering collection of vintage dresses. My reality was to get rid of the cancer and to deal with my emotional and physical trauma later. The pre-surgical MRI revealed a small mass in the left breast, and the cancerous breast had a lot of tissue affected. I opted for no radiation and that variable alone suggested a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with tissue expanders. It would be one week after surgery before I would have the final pathology from the lymph-node biopsy that was taken pre op. My lymph test came back negative, but my HER 2 expressions were positive and the Grade 3 invasive tumor would require adjuvant treatment that would include chemotherapy. My cancer team ordered an additional test that is used for cancers like mine to determine the potential effect of chemo on cancer cells that might be hiding somewhere else in my body. I was told that my type of cancer usually comes back with a high score. The day before my port was to be put in for my first treatment of chemo, the results from my Oncotype DX test came back showing “low risk.” In other words: no chemo. On Dec. 1, I had my breast reconstruction surgery with Dr. Paul Smith. He is a true artist, and I am amazed at the results. The breast cancer patients at Moffitt are true warriors. We face this beast with strength and integrity and at the end of the day; our faith is with Moffitt in providing us with the best surgeons and doctors. The Doctors and staff at Moffitt are second to none.