Breast Cancer Relief Fund for Stefanie

In January I went to my nurse practitioner for my annual check up. She found a lump on my breast. The next day I went for a mammogram and biopsy. At this point the Doctor that performed the biopsy told me I pretty much definitely had breast cancer from what he observed. I went to this appointment optimistic that it would be a cyst or something easy, so I was by myself when he told me this. This is something we are not prepared to be told. Something that we don’t know HOW to even begin to process. After this point everything moved really fast, a couple days later I was in for an MRI and another biopsy and then doing a round robin at the cancer center in Grafton to meet all the doctors I would be working with. I was told at that meeting that I had stage 2 breast cancer, estrogen and Her 2 positive and that I would have to have chemotherapy. 6 doses 3 weeks apart. After that Tom and I went home and told the boys. This was very emotional. This last thing I want is cancer and the next thing is to burden my boys in any way. No one should have to deal with this, especially children.  I did some more physical tests and a PET scan before chemo could start. Chemotherapy started a couple weeks into February. At my first chemo treatment I was told that the PET scan showed something going on with my thyroid. I was put in to have a biopsy the next day on my thyroid and they confirmed that I also have papillary thyroid cancer. The breast cancer trumps the thyroid so the thyroid cancer treatment is put on hold. I lost my hair at the end of February. I am now on my 4th chemo treatment. After chemo is over I will have a double mastectomy with reconstruction. This should be towards the end of June. Approximately 4 weeks after that I will be having surgery to remove part of my thyroid. After the surgeries I will have radiation and continued chemo (just one of the chemo medications) for the breast cancer. The chemo will continue until February 2020. I will also have a iodine radioactive treatment to halt any further cell growth on my thyroid.

This journey has been harder mentally than physically. I don’t feel sick (except after chemo) and I overall feel physically like myself. Mentally I have learned to take this all one day at a time. This is part of my life but it doesn’t define me. I have received so much love and support that has been so wonderful for keeping me positive and optimistic. But this SUCKS. This is a burden that no one should have to experience. I am so extremely appreciative of my hubby and boys, my mom and dad and Susan and all my other family and friends. This is a journey that I will come out of with so much appreciation for everyone I meet along the way. 

We are looking for any help we can get to relieve the burden and stress of medical bills. I have learned that it’s ok to ask for help. I’m not one to usually do so, but I can’t do this without the help of all my family and friends.