Heidi
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I've set goals for myself that revolve around important milestones coming up in their lives.
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I was diagnosed with de novo Stage IV breast cancer in July 2019 after finding a lump in the shower. It had already spread to my bones and liver. My annual mammograms showed nothing, including the one from October 2018. Dense breast tissue prevented the cancer from being seen. I have since learned that the law in my state gives you the right to have an MRI or ultrasound if you have dense breast tissue. I wish I had known that before.
My breast cancer is HER2+ and I receive chemo treatments every three weeks. I work full time. That is hard but necessary for family income and to keep my health insurance. I am able to work remotely on days I do not feel well enough to go to the office. This includes my actual chemo treatment days where you see me with my laptop out and on the phone - bringing my office to the chemo bed.
My husband is my biggest supporter and helps me keep going. We have 2 kids in college and one in high school. I've set goals for myself that revolve around important milestones coming up in their lives. Some days it is challenging to balance the known probability of my five-year survival with all the stories I read of people living longer and longer with MBC. There are so many advances in research that I firmly believe that every day I live increases the chance of me living an additional day.
I would like to become active in advocating for MBC treatment research outside of my social circle. I would also like to share my mammogram story to get more women with dense breast tissue to advocate for their rights for better imaging. I appreciate all the women who participated in clinical trials and who helped me receive the chemo drugs I need right now. I intend to participate in any clinical trials available to help women in the future, including my daughter and my two nieces.
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