I was diagnosed with stage 3 Triple Negative with five children on the line & my positive can do attitude greatly contributed to my excellent prognosis

I am rarely surprised at peoples large range of reactions when they discover I am a stage 3C survivor.
Some have questions, some are encouraged, some praise God, some say you don't look like you had breast cancer, and some simply do not know what to say. It is always interesting. When I speak with those battling, in treatment or newly diagnosed I can absolutely tell who will have lesser symptoms and side effects and will get through treatment easier by their positive "can and will do" mindset.

Breast cancer is very survivable
The average survival rate for people with breast cancer is 90%.  If the cancer is located only in the breast, survival rate of people with breast cancer is 99%. 

Many will survive however the speed bumps in your journey will either be minimal, or largely challenging all by your emotional mindset.
A positive mindset is 80% of the battle already won. Negative breeds negative and a downward spiral. Its harmful to both you, your health, your family and all those around you. You owe it to yourself to be positive and know the benefits are great when you achieve this mindset.

Courage isn't the absence of fear, its the conquest of it!

LIFE and PEOPLE CANT RATTLE MY SOUL or STEAL MY HAPPINESS!

I was diagnosed with stage 3 C Triple Negative  with five children on the line. A freshman in high school, middle school, first grader, preschooler and infant. No family history, no brca, no rhyme no reason.
I could either let it break and change me, define me or strengthen me.
So I said I'm swinging with all I've got, this will not slow me down, take my life, and it will only strengthen me. I was going to get this off my plate and resume normalcy with the least adverse reactions possible.

We hired a college girl to come in three days a week for a total of only fifteen hours a week to carpool and watch the kids while I  received chemo and treatments.
My husband could not lose his job, so he had to continue to go to work. No family in NC its just the seven of us.

I would come home after chemo and walk into constructive chaos with five children, and still resume normalcy as their mother.
My veins would not corporate after my initial scans, and my port needed to be placed ASAP so I could start chemo so I had it put in regardless of the inability of sedation. I went into the  operating room completely sober  with only a drape so my vision was obstructed and a numbed area.  The surgeon talked to me wide awake the entire surgery as my port was placed.
I was also home 24 hours after my bilateral, both breast removed on Tylenol no narcotics being a mom to my kids.

All of my positive can do attitude contributed to my ability to remain as energetic, healthy, and have the normalcy with my children to continue my mom routine. It enabled me to beat stage 3 C and have an excellent prognosis with minimal speed bumps, and truly minimal side effects

When you tell me you are on medications to even sleep at night, scared, depressed, and worried all the time, I say to you its imperative to remember BC is very survivable. Or you say you are worried about a reassurance. You could be in a random car accident. Life is full of unforeseen events and you have the ability to remain strong, and positive. Life absolutely returns to normal, your health will be restored.  Treatment will end! You will travel again, have that margarita again, celebrate your children and family. If you are a survivor, don't let worry steal your time or happiness. You are here after your battle was won to LIVE and enjoy every day and life.

Now that I am a survivor, I am forever changed. I am stronger, love harder, see clearly, enjoy watching and celebrating all the milestones, achievements and accomplishments of  my children.
I enjoy every moment, ups and downs watching my children grow, and spending my life with my husband.

I am an advocate, speak to others, help raise money, awareness and help others!

I am blessed to meet many Pink Sisters from all walks of life, all over the world.
All of us Pink Sisters are here to encourage each other, be supportive, let each other know there is HOPE, a bright light & life after treatment. We offer strength, love, a ear to listen or a shoulder and hug for each other!
We know how each other feels to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and the battle endured.

I was honored  to speak at a large function, gala to help raise money for medical bills and treatment for patients with breast cancer, and will be speaking again on Friday at another large event to help raise more.
I am blessed to share my journey with others and pray it helps encourage hope in others along their journey to beat breast cancer as I did!

I am not defined by money, medical bills, I don't let stress, or any of life's hiccups or unforeseen speed bumps rattle my soul or steal my happiness! I am breathing today and its that simple!  Its a gift, I am blessed and I LIVE every single day happy, appreciative and blessed!



I spoke on Friday at a large Gala
Was a great night. I got to sit with Debra Morgan wonderful selfless woman. I met her coworkers Gerald Owens and Greg Fishel a few years ago when I won the survivor award. The Wral team is awesome. We raised enough money last night to cover 16 women’s treatments!!!
So blessed my speech went very well and we nailed it! 
What a phenomenal young man Robbie my oldest son is is. He was the youngest by far in a packed house among physicians, celebrities and the media as he held his own and I couldn’t be more proud of him!

Four years after prevailing against Triple Negative BC ````Positives outcomes````

Next month (July) will be my four year anniversary since beating triple negative stage 3C breast cancer. 

I have no family history of any cancer, and am BRAC negative with no gene mutations. 

I was in Walt Disney world spending a week with my children then ages 1,3,5,11,14 years old. I was in great shape, near felt better, looked healthy, had a ton of energy, and NO CLUE I had stage 3C.

We returned home, I frankly had an itch at my upper rib cage, scratched my ribs, under my arm pit at 2 am stumbled upon and felt this large (size of my finger) Woke up  my husband and said "What the Hell is this"? I had small size A cup breasts. How could I of missed this?

I was able to go see a OB/GYN doctor the next day who felt it and told me it felt like a fatty cyst, I had nothing to worry about and sent me in for a mammogram. She assured me it was a non cancerous cyst and all was fine. 

I went in by myself that Friday to confirm my "cyst" and have a mammogram without my husband, as we where certain all was well.

After FOUR negative mamo's that afternoon (even tho you could feel this large tumor) the radiologist called me to a back room to preform a biopsy. When she inserted small titanium ribbons into my right breast over the tumor and said "this is to guide the surgeon" I did not need to wait for the lab to confirm on Monday. I knew something was terribly wrong. 

Monday's call  confirmed  I had breast cancer. I met with a surgeon Thursday that told me I had triple negative breast cancer. She explained A diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer means that the three most common types of receptors known to fuel most breast cancer growth–estrogen, progesterone, and the HER-2/neu gene– are not present in the cancer tumor and that TNBC is very aggressive. She then told me I needed to have chemotherapy first prior to any surgery. 

After sitting down with my oncologist the following week and having an array of tests in the weeks to follow, scans, heart mugga tests and labs galore I was then staged at 3C, and given a 17 chemo treatment regimen. I had a surgical port placed in SOBER, only numbed the area and was wide awake in the OR due to lack of cooperation of my veins due to all the prior tests.  The port need to go in ASAP so I could start chemo.

At this point I had a choice. I could throw the worlds biggest pity party, or I could swing with my full force and give this fight everything I had! When I looked at my husband and five children I knew TNBC was not going to take my life! 

My first chemo treatment my tumor shrank in half, after my 2nd treatment my tumor was undetectable! I sat for five total treatments (only 30 percent of my prescribe treatments) and had a bilateral mastectomy(donated my tissue to study in hopes to help others) November that year 2014 on my oldest sons 15th and dads birthday and woke up with a PCR, no micro cancer cells and given an excellent prognosis. I did not have any radiation treatments due to my PCR.

Six months later I was involved in a horrific car accident that totaled my car into a crumble of torn steel with my three youngest in the car. front nor side airbags ever deployed. All four of us walked away without a scratch.

God has complete control, and the only control I have is how I choose to treat others and live my life. 

I have been given a miracle, and could not be any more blessed to spend and LIVE my life watching my kids grow with my best friend, my husband,  enjoying the rest of our family.

Life is full of unscripted challenges, its not easy, our finances are strained after medical bills, I cant feel my breasts, I miss having nipples, and its never easy to have all the connections with so many pink sisters, and watching them them go through their treatments. 

 I am breathing today full of health and energy! There are hiccups and speed bumps I choose to get over at full speed because I know there are ALWAYS a silver linings ahead in the near distance. I LOVE MY LIFE and every moment is a gift I never take for granted.I have no regrets and would do nothing differently. I turned my journey into  strength I use in my daily life and too help others. We where blessed to have Kyle and Samantha Busch donate a million dollars for women's medical bills whom cannot afford treatments..

There is a BRIGHT LIGHT after treatments Life absolutely returns to normal! You turn into steel and life's moments are sweeter and forever precious. You take nothing for granted!

Be fierce, STAY POSITIVE, have faith, Its Ok to sit in bed have a quick cry then get up (NO GLOOM or DOOM) A positive mindset is 80% of the battle already won. 

"Courage is not the absence of fear, it's the conquest of it!"

It is important for my pink sisters of TNBC  to remember it has many

Positives outcomes!

I have studied UK, Canada,US, and  San Antonio TNBC annual meeting as well many long term studies.

It is imperative we remember TNBC is a very survivable disease

TNBC is very chemo-sensitive

and survival rates were 86%, 83%, and 83%, respectively.TNBC is more sensitive to chemotherapy. The rate of pathological complete remission (PCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is higher than in other breast cancer subtypes

The majority of women with triple negative breast cancers are -- thankfully -- cured and survive. Triple negative cancer is something that if it has not come back by the five-year mark

After 3 years the chance of recurrence of TNBC is reduced by 50%. With each year after the 3 year mark the chance of recurrence is reduced by an additional 10%-15%. Long term survivors (longer than 5 years) have almost a 0% rate that the disease will not recur. With other breast cancers the recurrence rate climbs after the first 5 years. (You have a 90.6% to not have metastasis)

Please keep your eyes on the bright light at the end of treatments they do end! I'm down to a simple blood test every six months. 

Your not alone, all of us Pink sisters know how you feel. I am humbled and blessed to of met so many and follow your journeys as you prevail too!

May you heal in Gods speed!

Four years ago it was 1 in 9 diagnosed with breast cancer. Its closer to 1 in 7 now. 

A self exam once a month (five minutes of your time) can lead to early detection.