Newsletter issue 5 - October 15 - Joy's Story

​Life was pretty close to perfect...We had moved into our dream home, my kids were beautiful, and I was in the perfect job.  My 35th birthday landed on the holiday of Purim, so we had friends and family over to celebrate.  We were leaving in a few weeks to LA for a family bar mitzvah.  My daughter was in her first season of her dance competition team. We were so happy.  

One day my bra was uncomfortable but I assumed it was just getting old and the underwire might be poking me.  The kids went to bed, and I went to take off my bra to get in my pajamas.  My bra looked fine, so I decided to give myself a breast exam, and that's when I felt it.  A lump.  It was probably the size of a golf ball.  How was this possible?  I checked myself regularly because I had a friend at the end of her own breast cancer battle.  Why hadn't I felt this the day before in my bra?  Did this just pop out of nowhere?  I panicked, and showed my husband.  I started to cry that I did not want to die.  We were leaving in 48 hours to LA.  How could I go with this lump on my breast?  I called my doctor the next morning and booked an appointment for when I got home.  I found my lump on April 5th.  My late Zeidi Mike's birthday.

The day I saw my GP she felt the lump, and sent me to a private clinic.  She wasn't overly concerned and thought that it could be some scar tissue from the breast reduction I had a year earlier.  I went with my daughter the next day to Charlevoix for dance, and then had the appointment with the private clinic upon my return.

Going to the private clinic, I was nervous but decided to go alone.  "It CAN'T be cancer," I thought.  I was in the best shape of my life.  My friend was in Florida, celebrating with her family the end of her cancer treatment.  I was texting with her and she told me to insist on a biopsy, even if they say that I didn't need one.  I got called into my appointment and the doctor started the ultrasound.  We were chatting and he stopped.  He took a breath.  "There's something there...." he said.  Jokingly I responded, "Of course there is something there.  That's why I am here!"  "No...." he continued.  "There's something THERE."  I asked him if I was getting a biopsy.  He said that he was not letting me go without one.  He showed me the blood flow in my growth.  I knew what blood flow meant.  I went numb.  I was alone in this clinic, and was about to have a biopsy on what appeared to be a cancerous lump.  A nurse came to hold my hand.  I cried.  The doctor took two biopsies with a tool that looked like I was getting my ears pierced.  I was told that they will call me in 72 hours with the results.

The next few days were hell.  I didn't eat, I didn't sleep, and I couldn't function.  I stayed in bed and cried.   72 hours like clockwork, I got the call.  I remember him saying something about it being aggressive and fast growing.  I asked him if I would live to see my kids grow up and my daughter get married.  He said that the doctors would do everything in their power.  My kids were 3 and 6.  They were babies. My diagnosis came on April 28th.  It was my husband's late Zeidi Harry's birthday.

The next few days were filled with doctors appointments and tests.  I met my oncological surgeon, and my oncologist.  They were confident that this will just be a blip in the road.  They were confident that we can beat this monster.

Chemo started May 16, 2016.  I would have 16 rounds of treatment, followed by surgery. Chemotherapy was hell for me.  I had a mild reaction to my first Taxol, so the following ones had to be a slower drip.  When I moved onto AC, I had an allergic reaction to it that almost took my life.  I powered through the best of my ability.  My kids were suffering.  I would not leave them without a mother.

October 18 will be 4 years since I finished chemotherapy.  My double mastectomy was 6 weeks later.  Though several more surgeries would follow, we consider my date of remission to be the date of my double mastectomy.

There are days where I think back to it and it seems like a different life.  I cannot believe I had cancer, and I cannot wrap my head around the fact that my babies had to experience this.  I attended one cousin's wedding over ZOOM.  For the other cousin's wedding my mother in law cooked for me so that I could be comfortable that the food was cooked according to my chemo rules.  My best friends got married and I was in a wig and had to sit down before walking down the aisle.  For years I was a volunteer medic for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer.  In 2016 I was walking for myself.  I HAD Breast Cancer.  I cannot look at an IV drip without tasting the metallic chemo and getting nauseous in the pit of my stomach.  I am tired, my body hurts ALL the time, and only in the past few months have I been able to lose some of the weight I put on.  However rough my road has been, whatever the after effects may be, it doesn't matter.  What matters is that...…

LONG STORY SHORT, I SURVIVED.

Battling Breast Cancer and still volunteering. My mini cheerleaders came out to support the cause