"I have learned to trust my gut feelings and to be my own advocate."

I was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer back in 2006. I was 32 years old and had recently decided with my husband to start trying to have a baby. My mother is a breast cancer survivor but I still was unaware of some of the warning signs and risk factors for the disease. I believed it was something that happened to older women. I just happened to find a lump when I was in the shower. I went to my doctor in Portsmouth NH and they referred me to a surgeon who did an ultrasound and biopsy that confirmed cancer. I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy. There was no lymph node involvement. My surgeon referred me to an oncologist who I went to see right after my surgery. He recommended that I complete chemotherapy and when I asked him about getting pregnant post treatment he responded " There is always adoption". I felt sick. I have always wanted to be a mom.

I just did not feel right being at that office so I did some more research and found that Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA had a program for young women with breast cancer. I was able to get an appointment with the head of the program and she was amazing. She explained that my cancer was hormone positive and that I would not reduce my risk of recurrence that much if I opted for hormone therapy. So we chose a treatment plan that included radiation and tamoxifen. She understood my concerns about starting a family and was really supportive of the idea after I finished my treatment. She understood that young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have unique concerns and really made me feel like she was treating me as an individual. I have been taking tamoxifen for the last three years and I am cancer free and excited to try and start a family in the next few years after my treatment with tamoxifen ends. I have learned so much throughout my cancer journey. I have learned to trust my body. I have learned to trust my gut feelings and to be my own advocate. I think that the Early Act is so important not only to save lives through early detection but also to educate healthcare providers on the concerns of younger cancer patients and their quality of life.