Support Ann’s Battle Against Breast Cancer

Hello, my name is Ann Nguyen, and I’m raising funds to help me during this time of treatment and recovery from breast cancer.

So you all have a clear picture of what’s going on; I’ll start from the beginning. In early December 2023, I noticed a lump in my left breast. I immediately thought it was unusual and made an appointment to have it screened. Within the week I had a referral to get a mammogram and ultrasound. I was told at the time not to be too worried but to definitely get it checked asap. There was some set back and then the holidays, so I decided to wait until after the new year. I guess I was convincing myself that it was just a cyst or something benign. I worried about it all month, it was on my mind every day.

In late January 2024 I finally received an appointment and was told by the radiologist that the results were highly suspicious. I still at the time kept calm and thought to myself, they can’t know for sure until they take a biopsy. Then after reviewing the notes from the mammogram, they rated it at a high scale to be cancer. I started to spiral. It was becoming more clear that it may not be benign. 7 days later I had a biopsy. The next day, February 2, 2024, the dreaded phone call. I was diagnosed was breast cancer.

The month to follow was by far the hardest. Just navigating the unknown and thinking the absolute worst. Looking at my 2 year old daughter, wondering if she’ll remember me. I really don’t wish these thoughts on anyone. It’s truly heartbreaking. Through it all I gained a lot of knowledge about breast cancer and how to treat it. The world was starting to look brighter and I was getting a clearer picture of a plan.

Friday, March 8, 2024 was my last day working in the restaurant industry after 20 years. That following Monday, March 11, I had a double mastectomy. After a PET scan, CT scan, and an additional biopsy prior to surgery; it showed I have a necrotic lymph node in my chest that has cancer cells. During surgery they took out 2 axillary lymph nodes (located under the arm pit), one being positive for cancer, one being negative (woohoo!). Stage remained the same: tumor being almost 3 cm with 2 positive lymph nodes. I have Stage IIA, grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma.

Recovery from surgery was tough, but I have amazing support from my husband and family. I really couldn’t have done it without them.

Fast forward to May, I will be starting chemotherapy. Followed by radiation and hormone treatment. I’ll have 8 rounds of chemo that will be quite tough. One nicknamed the “red devil.” We already hate her. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dreading it, but hopefully it’ll be like a bad hangover! The infusions will be every 2-3 weeks. I’ll wait a month to recover, then receive radiation everyday for a few weeks. Hopefully all of that will be done by November. Hormone treatment will be for 5-10 years, which will put me into early menopause. I’ll be able to get my implants 6 months after radiation. In the mean time I have tissue expanders in place.

Needless to say, I need financial help. I have applied for disability, but they are taking FOREVER. I was hesitant to do this because it’s difficult to ask for money. But I’ve started to feel the stress of it and want to be in an optimal mental state to continue this battle. So whatever you can contribute, I will be eternally grateful. I love you all so much! ❤️❤️❤️

If anyone has any questions, has someone going through a similar situation, or you just want a chat. Please do not hesitate to call or send a message!

Thank you!

P.S.- please consider donating via Venmo as well to avoid transaction fees:

@annhoawawa