How I Met My Evil Friend

In December 2010, I had my annual exam with my gynecologist. When you are 27 years old however, you just get a pap and they feel your breasts for any changes. There was nothing abnormal to report, so I went on my merry way.

In February 2011, I detected a lump on my left breast in the shower. I had to hold my body in a certain way to feel it, so it was mainly when you soaped under your armpit. I've always had large breasts so it's hard to feel all the layers inside.

I waited about a week and chatted with my best friend at my office, Kellie Boone who also has really large breasts...made her feel the lump, and we both decided it was strange and should be looked at.

I called my doctor and she got me right in since I've never had this kind of inquiry before. She felt it and agreed to investigate further. I got in the same day to Verdugo Hills for an ultrasound and biopsy.

Within a week...I got the call...the 3 words you hope you will never hear...YOU HAVE CANCER.

From there, the radiologist from Verdugo recommended the most amazing woman in the world, Dr. Jeannie Shen out of Huntington Hospital/UCLA Oncology. She's a breast surgeon where this is all she does. I next had a mammogram and an MRI and met with Jeannie once we had all the results.

It was stage 2 invastive ductal cancer, and it was hormone receptive. That's when our surgical plan began. I went from a lumpectomy to a double mastectomy. Since I was young, I have a lot of life to live, with the fear of it coming back in the same breast or the other, I wanted it all out. Be gone boob! I just never understood why you would leave something in that wanted to kill you if at all possible.

We opted for the DIEP Flap procedure, which is a tummy tuck and they move your stomach fat to your boobs. It was a 12 1/2 hour surgery, I had Jeannie perform the mastectomy and Dr. Lief Rogers and Dr. Max Lehfeldt took care of the rest. This is where I consider my journey truly beginning was on March 14, 2011.