Although breast cancer ran in my family, I never believed that it would ever happen to me. I had watched my mother battle breast cancer when I was a teenager and when she was re-diagnosed again ten years later, it broke my heart. What was more devastating was at the age of 30, I received a phone call about pathology reports, support groups, recommended appointments and contact numbers in regards to my own breast cancer diagnosis. How could this happen? As my mother was continuing to fight for her life, I too would now begin the same journey.

Finding out you have breast cancer is not only unbelievable, but also overwhelming. The wave of emotions I felt ranged from fear, to denial, to sadness, to anger, and to being totally ready to fight this disease. My body endured a double mastectomy surgery along with reconstruction, 6 rounds of three different types of chemotherapy, and 5 weeks of radiation. And with all that I went through, the worst suffering was losing my mother only two weeks after my last chemotherapy treatment. She had fought hard to be sure I would be safe, guiding me slowly through my battle and giving me the courage to continue on. I am grateful to her, my husband, my friends and family, co-workers, and even strangers who helped me through the tough times. Because if there is one thing I’ve learned from breast cancer; it’s that you don’t fight it alone.