Join Brandy's Battle: Two Cancers, One Warrior

In August our friend/family member Brandy was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and needed to have surgery to remove it. She will also have a radioactive iodine treatment the first week of November which will require isolation measures to keep family and friends from getting sick from the radioactive ingredients in her blood stream.

In September she was diagnosed with Ductal carcinoma breast cancer. She will need to have breast surgery the last week of October and will have radiation therapy everyday for six weeks after healing from surgery. We are optimistic she won’t need chemotherapy but will only know after the surgery once they analyze the removed cancer.

Below is a recent Facebook post made by Brandy and her journey through all that she is going thru please help contribute in any way to help the Smith family. She also left out that her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery days before Brandy's diagnosis. While taking care of her mother she had to begin discussing her own treatment plan.

A little life update…

As many of you know, I don’t share my life very often and kind of keep private to the things that are going on. Something I was raised to do. However, I have decided to share my story in hopes of making a difference.

In August, my world got flipped upside down!

I have always dealt with a thyroid problem since I had my kiddos, which is very normal. Recently, there were several spots on my thyroid that came back suspicious. After a biopsy they believed it was cancer but would only know for sure once we remove the thyroid gland. My Dr’s decided to do the full removal, so we wouldn’t need two surgeries… well it came back as cancer!! They have the thyroid removed and I will have to go through a radioactive iodine treatment in November to insure remission from any cancer cells left behind from the surgery.

During this time I was due for my annual mammogram… I really did not want to do it. I had a hundred things going on and school just started back for the kids. I had several new customers I was trying to help get going etc… however, my NP reminded me that, “It will only take a half hour and better be safe then sorry. Make the time!” Long story short, they called the day before my thyroid surgery and said they found something and wanted to do another mammogram just to play it safe!

Well, two weeks later I went to that appt and they let me know, they are 90% sure I had breast cancer and the only way to be sure is a biopsy! Seven long days later, the results came back and they confirmed, I have breast cancer also! Needless to say this is not what I was expecting… but fight mode went into full swing!

With all this being said, things are good! I have the most amazing husband, who has not left my side at any Dr’s appt! Who picks up the pieces when I am feeling sick, scared, nervous, red or just wipes away some tears! ❤️ I have an amazing family who calls and checks on me and gives me a good laugh when needed!! Friends, who know exactly when to text and or show up with a cookie! An amazing team of Dr’s who are working together to get both cancers taken care of!! And of course my work family who continues to let me work, but is always there to help out when needed and gives me lots of love!! So as hard as it is some days, we have to realize we are blessed!!

I know this is a long post, but what it was really meant for, is two things…

1. Tomorrow starts breast cancer awareness month, I want everyone who has not got an exam lately or past due, to make that appointment!!! It literally takes less than a half hour!! We are all busy, we will always have an excuse but we have to take care of ourselvesu also!

2. Don’t forget to be kind!! You never know what someone else is going through! Love your family and friends!! Don’t forget to hold the door for the person in front of you! Give a smile to the person in the drive thru! Give your kids a hug! Tell your co worker you appreciate them! These are the things that will go along way if your world gets flipped upside down!

-Brandy

Medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the USA. Having two cancers both requiring surgery and follow up treatments simultaneously will have a huge financial impact on the family.