stories
strength & beauty
September 13, 2019In July of 2016, I went for my first mammogram. I had a lump that I kept ignoring for years. I figured I was too young to have cancer so I just kept ignoring it. The radiologist saw the mammogram and wanted a biopsy immediately. A week later my youngest daughter and I went for the results. The doctor and two others came in my room. My heart immediately dropped. They said my lump was malignant for cancer. Two days later I had a partial mastectomy and 30 lymphnoids removed. 18 of those noids contained cancer. I was referred to a oncologist but I had to heal because between July- August I had 7 operations and two drainage tubes. At the time my husband and I were separated, and I did not want him to know or contact me. He found out because the freshman football team dedicated a pink night out during one of the season games and it was posted in the Advocate. I started chemo in September 2016 and it was hell. I was so sick. I lost my hair within two weeks. The kids and I only survived because I got into a bad relationship and I gave him money to buy a house. He took my child support and paid for his Harley, his car, the house payment, utilities, etc. He was a glorified sheriff's deputy who worked for the jail, and took everything I had while I was sick. I did nine months of chemo. I then decided to get a mastectomy in April 2017. At that time, this man had kicked me out of my room, pad locked the door and I slept on the floor. My four kids, put together a bed in the living room for me to comfortably sleep. After over a year of being away from my ex husband, I decided to let him see our son. No intentions of going back to him. The man I was with kicked me and the kids out and took everything we had just about, even my daughters truck which she was given to her by someone. But in the midst of everything, my ex got help and found a church that he attends and still does. After the mastectomy, I received news that the tissue was growing back cancer cells. My oldest daughter got mad at me and moved in with a precious family that took care of her, and let her grow. In August and September of 2017 I went through radiation. I suffered from chemo brain, which is a condition where you lose your memory. I just recently regained most of my memory back. In June of 2018, another oncologist saw me, examined me and read my heath report. She told me if I didn’t have a total hysterectomy that I wouldn’t live ten years. Reason for this is because my cancer is hormone driven. I had the surgery and my family was there waiting. Jordan and Junior made amends and she’s moving home once we find a bigger home. I went to work two days after the surgery because we wouldn’t be able to live if I didn’t. I was supposed to of been out in six weeks. My report on the mastectomy tissue came back, I had five growing cysts. It was determined that I be kept on a chemo pill. It makes my bones hurt and tired. During the last two years was hell. I lost so much. Ended up getting massively behind on utilities, because the man I had been with had his bill tacked onto mine, and I ended up owing it. How? I don’t know. My kids suffered so bad. Lost everything we owned. We all lost, but we gained our family back.