TWO-TIME BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR, AND AVON WALKER
Breast cancer—two powerful words! They have always been a part of my life. My mother and grandmother both died from breast cancer. I spent my childhood living next to the disease.
In the back of my mind, I always knew cancer was something that might present itself within my body. The only question was when.
In early 2004, my husband, David, and I were blessed with the birth of our beautiful daughter, Malia. Because of my strong family history, I’d begun having mammograms at the age of 30. Shortly after I stopped breast feeding, I went in for a routine mammogram. And there it was. The cancer had arrived. Because of my prior mammograms, the cancer was detected extremely early.
After several conversations with my surgeon, we decided I’d have a bi-lateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.
I am a poster child for early detection, and I am thankful every day.
But my story does not end there. Fast-forward two years. David and I received the news that our 12-week-old fetus was healthy and viable. We were overjoyed with happiness. Malia was 2½, and having a second child was a primary goal before, during, and after my cancer diagnosis.
One day shortly after getting the good news, David asked me if I’d felt any changes to my breasts due to the pregnancy. I decided to perform a breast self exam. As I was feeling about, I discovered a small, round thing, tucked right under my left armpit.
To say I panicked is an understatement. Days later, I was diagnosed with my second bout of breast cancer in two years. Not a metastasis, but a brand new occurrence and an aggressive one.
The question of what to do and when became critical. Unfortunately (but lucky for us) other women have been through chemo while pregnant, and I was put in contact with several of them. Through our talks, David and I both felt better about moving forward with keeping the baby and starting treatments.
Five months after my diagnosis, on my 39th birthday, our healthy baby boy, Ari Jonathan, arrived four weeks early, healthy, strong, and full of life.
After he was born, Ari accompanied me to most of my treatments. Not surprisingly, each person in the office claimed their share of the responsibility for his miraculous birth! He is a miracle baby.
“After many doctor visits—to the oncologist, the ob-gyn, the surgeon, and the peri-natal specialist—we decided I should have the tumor removed and start chemo. Yes, I was nervous, and yes, I was scared. However, I had faith that everything would work out, and it did.”