We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?
I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.
Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.
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WhyMommy is the contributing editor for Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). She writes at Toddler Planet and heads up Team WhyMommy which has spread the word about IBC. She also blogs at DC Metro Moms Blog, Women in Planetary Science Blog, and, her latest project, Mothers With Cancer.
Showing posts with label WhyMommy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WhyMommy. Show all posts
Thursday, August 14, 2008
WhyMommy's Story
WhyMommy is the contributing editor for Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). She writes at Toddler Planet and heads up Team WhyMommy which has spread the word about IBC. She also blogs at DC Metro Moms Blog, Women in Planetary Science Blog, and, her latest project, Mothers With Cancer.
Susan, a.k.a. WhyMommy, is a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom of two baby boys: "Widget," age 3, and "Little Bear," age 1. Before her babies, she worked at NASA, selecting new research ideas and new missions to fly to other planets. Her current job is no less challenging.
Susan was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer on June 16, 2007, three weeks after her mother-in-law was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma, another kind of breast cancer. Susan spent the next 10 months in chemotherapy, radiation, and recovering from a double mastectomy while trying to raise her children to be interesting, creative, and kind little boys. She has told her story day by day at Toddler Planet over the past year, with the love and support of Team WhyMommy; she is currently cancer-free and starting to work again. Susan is stubbornly not grateful for cancer, but she is grateful for the opportunity to meet so many strong women and the reminders to appreciate every day that we have together as friends and family.
Susan is desperately in love with her boys and tries to show them that every day, so that they will always remember how much their Mommy loves them.
Susan, a.k.a. WhyMommy, is a 35-year-old stay-at-home mom of two baby boys: "Widget," age 3, and "Little Bear," age 1. Before her babies, she worked at NASA, selecting new research ideas and new missions to fly to other planets. Her current job is no less challenging.
Susan was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer on June 16, 2007, three weeks after her mother-in-law was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma, another kind of breast cancer. Susan spent the next 10 months in chemotherapy, radiation, and recovering from a double mastectomy while trying to raise her children to be interesting, creative, and kind little boys. She has told her story day by day at Toddler Planet over the past year, with the love and support of Team WhyMommy; she is currently cancer-free and starting to work again. Susan is stubbornly not grateful for cancer, but she is grateful for the opportunity to meet so many strong women and the reminders to appreciate every day that we have together as friends and family.
Susan is desperately in love with her boys and tries to show them that every day, so that they will always remember how much their Mommy loves them.
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