Melinda's Story from Ohio

Breast cancer has affected my life since I was 12 years old. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38. We had a very close relationship and this was devastating to me. I watched her go through having a mastectomy, going through chemotherapy and radiation both. Watching her lose her hair was possibly the hardest part for both of us. She was very strong through all of it and set a great example for my brother and myself. She worked through the whole ordeal and my father supported her through it as well. She survived the cancer but it left lasting radiation burns and memories for both of us.

Two of my aunts were diagnosed with breast cancer a few years later, a couple years apart from each other. They were both in their early 30's and both survived and had different treatment options. My Grandmother was then diagnosed with breast cancer in her 70's last year. She also survived and had great treatment options. So I come from a family of strong women survivors. I got genetic testing done and discovered to no surprise that I had the BRCA1 gene. I knew this meant that I would most likely get this disease, but I decided to worry about it when the time came and do what I could now to keep myself healthy.

I discovered my lump myself in May of this year since I knew the importance of early detection. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 25 on July 6, 2007. I was alone when I got my diagnosis because I had gone in for my mammogram and had no idea I would get the results that day. When I heard the news I immediately called my mother and she came as fast as she could. She was devastated; she never thought I would have to go through this, this early in my life.

We both had the same idea that by the time I got breast cancer there would be a cure so it would be no big deal. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I didn't know what to think or how severe it was or anything, I was terrified.

I then had to make decisions about my treatment. The day I decided to have a double mastectomy was the day I made the hardest decision of my life. With our history I did not want the cancer to come back in my other breast after I beat it this time, but at the same time the thought of losing both breasts and my hair at my age was absolutely terrifying to me. I was hysterical at this thought, but my oncologist and mother made me realize this was the best option for me in the long run.

My double mastectomy surgery came next, and everything went wrong with it. There was an equipment malfunction and I got a 2nd degree burn. The anesthesia caused me to have severe migraines the first day and then be sick to my stomach the second day after surgery. I finally got released three days later to go home and be in so much pain. I soon got my results from the lymph node biopsy and for the first time my mother and I both had lots of hope. There were no nodes affected and the tumor had been contained and there were no traces left of the cancer.

I soon started my chemotherapy shortly after and also started to see my plastic surgeon to continue on with the reconstruction I chose to do. The first two rounds of chemo were awful and I ended up back in the hospital with such severe migraines that I could not function and could not eat. I lost 16 pounds in six days the first session. Then my plastic surgeon informed me that I needed to have emergency surgery to fix something that was going wrong with my reconstruction. This was devastating to me because the only thing getting me through all this is that in 6 months I will look normal again. I can handle this right now but not for the rest of my life is what I kept thinking.

The surgery was successful, thank God. So far the reconstruction is looking good since then. I also shaved my head, having witnessed my mother's hair fall out in clumps I did not want to experience that. I shaved my extremely long hair that I had been growing out to donate to cancer patients. Irony is so great. This made the process easier for me to handle because I was in control of when I lost my hair not the cancer.

Shortly after, we discovered that my anti nausea medication was the culprit behind my migraines with the chemo. We switched that and since then things have been going okay. I live alone and support myself so I have been trying to work as much as physically possible. This is also made more difficult because I need to maintain a certain average of hours to keep my insurance. I am tired all of the time because I have become anemic and my white blood counts keep dipping as well. I do everything I can to go to work and then come right after to take a nap or get some rest.

I am very confident that I will survive this. I have no doubt in my mind because in my family cancer is not a death sentence it just means having a really bad year medically. My family is what gets me through this, and I could not have come this far without my mother. She supports me through all of it and comes to my chemo sessions. She is the first person I call when there is a problem and the first person I want to talk to when there is something good to share. I feel that I can talk to her about all of this because I know she has been through most of it herself. I still have a long road ahead of me with five more chemo sessions to go and then another surgery to finish the reconstruction. By this time next year I will be just another survivor, and joining that group with such amazing women such as those in my family is an honor.

Findlay, Ohio