Wendy's Triple Neg. Cancer Battle
Donation protected
I am a 45-years-young Mom of 3 amazing kids, a one-year-old black Lab rescue puppy and an incredible husband of 20+ years. I sing, play bass and am the editor for an online group of news websites.
I found out on 2/4, World Cancer Day, the same day doctors told me my teenage son would be okay after life-threatening emergency appendix/intestinal surgery, that I have breast cancer. They originally said it was Invasive Ductal Cancer (IDC), a very common, highly treatable cancer. My prognosis was good. I had a lumpectomy on 2/17 and I thought I'd have surgery, do 6 weeks of radiation and then be done and ready to rock.
I thought wrong. My doctor told me on 2/23 that I actually have Triple Negative Metaplastic Carcinoma. This is a very rare and aggressive type of cancer. It only occurs in 1% of women compared to Invasive Ductal which occurs in 80%.
The good news is that it has not spread to my lymph nodes. I am only Stage 1. The bad news is that this type of cancer can come back and spread to other parts of the body (bones, skin, lungs, etc.) so I will need to monitor it closely.
As soon as I found my lump (oddly while dying my red hair), I knew that my cancer diagnosis had to be about something much more than just me. I was low risk, no family history and get a mammogram each year. But I still got cancer. So I began an awareness campaign on my blog www.wendipoprock.wordpress.com to remind people to do monthly self breast exams. Through posting selfies of their clothed left boob, and using the hash tag #MyLeftBoob, dozens of women and men are helping me remind people of the life-saving importance of doing monthly self breast exams.
Because my cancer is an aggressive kind, treatment will be aggressive. I'll be doing chemotherapy beginning in early April. I'll lose my fiery red hair, dark eyebrows and long eyelashes. But I won't lose my sense of humor, inner strength or fighting spirit.
The best thing I can do now to get better is to eat healthy, get lots of rest and stay calm. Part of keeping stress levels down will be not worrying about all the bills piling up since my son's surgery (his 3rd in 3 years) which are now adding on to mine. My husband has a high deductible insurance plan that we have to pay before it kicks in. Then there are the prescriptions, the treatment (many months chemotherapy followed by radiation), a special cancer killing homeopathic diet plan, chiropractor bills (I also have 3 herniated discs in my neck) and other expenses related to my illness such as housecleaning, travel and wigs. Wigs are expensive!
For the past 15 years I have volunteered thousands of hours to church groups, community groups, arts groups and many more organizations through volunteerism. In 2012 after the tragedy of 12/14 in Sandy Hook, I helped my hometown heal by founding the Sandy Hook Arts Center for Kids (SHACK).
Through art, music and pet therapy we ran free events and classes so children, youth and families could heal through the arts. I donated thousands to pay overhead expenses when the donations stopped. I did this gladly because I felt this was the least I could do to help.
Whether you want to call it good karma or reaping what you sow, I'm hoping that the good I've put out over the years will come back to help me and my family in our time of need. Any amount you can spare will be so greatly appreciated.
I will fight as hard as humanly possible. And when I'm done I will call upon divine inner strength from above to fight for me the rest of the battle. And I will win. I will stay positive and keep my sense of humor (read more on my blog- www.wendipoprock.wordpress.com )
Will you join my fight?
Thank you for reading my story and for your donation. Please share if you know someone whose life has been touched by cancer.
Peace,
~Wendy Mitchell
Follow me on Twiter & Instagram: @WendiPopRock
Read my blog: www.wendipoprock.wordpress.com
I found out on 2/4, World Cancer Day, the same day doctors told me my teenage son would be okay after life-threatening emergency appendix/intestinal surgery, that I have breast cancer. They originally said it was Invasive Ductal Cancer (IDC), a very common, highly treatable cancer. My prognosis was good. I had a lumpectomy on 2/17 and I thought I'd have surgery, do 6 weeks of radiation and then be done and ready to rock.
I thought wrong. My doctor told me on 2/23 that I actually have Triple Negative Metaplastic Carcinoma. This is a very rare and aggressive type of cancer. It only occurs in 1% of women compared to Invasive Ductal which occurs in 80%.
The good news is that it has not spread to my lymph nodes. I am only Stage 1. The bad news is that this type of cancer can come back and spread to other parts of the body (bones, skin, lungs, etc.) so I will need to monitor it closely.
As soon as I found my lump (oddly while dying my red hair), I knew that my cancer diagnosis had to be about something much more than just me. I was low risk, no family history and get a mammogram each year. But I still got cancer. So I began an awareness campaign on my blog www.wendipoprock.wordpress.com to remind people to do monthly self breast exams. Through posting selfies of their clothed left boob, and using the hash tag #MyLeftBoob, dozens of women and men are helping me remind people of the life-saving importance of doing monthly self breast exams.
Because my cancer is an aggressive kind, treatment will be aggressive. I'll be doing chemotherapy beginning in early April. I'll lose my fiery red hair, dark eyebrows and long eyelashes. But I won't lose my sense of humor, inner strength or fighting spirit.
The best thing I can do now to get better is to eat healthy, get lots of rest and stay calm. Part of keeping stress levels down will be not worrying about all the bills piling up since my son's surgery (his 3rd in 3 years) which are now adding on to mine. My husband has a high deductible insurance plan that we have to pay before it kicks in. Then there are the prescriptions, the treatment (many months chemotherapy followed by radiation), a special cancer killing homeopathic diet plan, chiropractor bills (I also have 3 herniated discs in my neck) and other expenses related to my illness such as housecleaning, travel and wigs. Wigs are expensive!
For the past 15 years I have volunteered thousands of hours to church groups, community groups, arts groups and many more organizations through volunteerism. In 2012 after the tragedy of 12/14 in Sandy Hook, I helped my hometown heal by founding the Sandy Hook Arts Center for Kids (SHACK).
Through art, music and pet therapy we ran free events and classes so children, youth and families could heal through the arts. I donated thousands to pay overhead expenses when the donations stopped. I did this gladly because I felt this was the least I could do to help.
Whether you want to call it good karma or reaping what you sow, I'm hoping that the good I've put out over the years will come back to help me and my family in our time of need. Any amount you can spare will be so greatly appreciated.
I will fight as hard as humanly possible. And when I'm done I will call upon divine inner strength from above to fight for me the rest of the battle. And I will win. I will stay positive and keep my sense of humor (read more on my blog- www.wendipoprock.wordpress.com )
Will you join my fight?
Thank you for reading my story and for your donation. Please share if you know someone whose life has been touched by cancer.
Peace,
~Wendy Mitchell
Follow me on Twiter & Instagram: @WendiPopRock
Read my blog: www.wendipoprock.wordpress.com
Organizer
Wendy Leahy Mitchell
Organizer
Bethel, CT