October 2022 I had a mammogram, and it came back clear.

May 2023 I was experiencing pain in my right breast. It was swollen and the color had changed so I went to emergency to have it checked. Through some excellent ultrasound techs, an amazing ER doctor and another mammogram, it was discovered that I had two flat masses that were blocking a lymphatic duct which was causing the swelling and pooling of blood.

I was immediately referred to the Breast Health Clinic at Abbotsford Hospital, and this is where my journey began. A confirmed TNBC-Stage III diagnosis through a PetScan and biopsy started the road to 16 rounds of chemo, a bilateral mastectomy and 25 rounds of radiation.

Last year I walked as a person living with and fighting TN Breast Cancer. 

Last year I could barely walk the 1km for the CIBC Run for the Cure as I had just completed 12 rounds of Chemo and was just starting my next round of the "Red Devil". Chemo is not easy. There were lots of days/evenings spent on the bathroom floor or in bed, but there were also days that I was able to maintain some normalcy and actually go to work. I was very happy to complete Chemo in December 2023.

January 2024 saw a bilateral mastectomy and April saw the start of 25 radiation treatments.

An estimated 27,700 women and 260 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Canada. These figures are astounding! Treatments are always changing and I do believe that each year there are more and more survivors, with each donation one more survivor can be added to the list. So, please join us as we continue to honor the memory of those who fought before us, and who continue to fight. Every person diagnosed with Breast Cancer will go through a journey, each journey will be different, but all of the journeys will have several things in common, this I know for sure. We will all struggle emotionally and physically.  You will meet some incredible people along your journey, the technicians who carefully and compassionately help you through your mammograms, and ultrasounds, the chemo ward nurses, the radiation techs, the oncologists, the radiologists, the booking clerks, the admin teams, so many to be thankful for, as all of these individuals are working tirelessly and endlessly to make sure you SURVIVE.

I still struggle with the past year emotionally, I am not sure when one can finally fully grasp hearing the words "cancer free" and stop living in fear, each day I remind myself to be grateful and to remain positive, to live in the moment and to continue to survive.

This year as I RUN the 5km as a Warrior/Survivor, I will once again honor the memory of my dear Miss Y, and my beautiful sister in-law Penny, to continue to honor Karen, and all the other Survivors, and of course, I walk for my sister in-law, Andrea who continues to battle.

To show my support for all Canadians impacted by breast cancer, I am participating and fundraising for this year’s Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure on Sunday, October 6, 2024 with a fundraising goal of $1000.00.

With your help, I can reach my personal fundraising goal of $1000 and make a life-changing difference for so many people. Every dollar I raise will fund groundbreaking breast cancer research and support programs and services for those impacted by this disease. Please donate today. I believe better treatment options and survival outcomes are possible. Together, we can give Canadians impacted by breast cancer a reason to have hope. And we can help change the future for all. Thank you! I appreciate your generous support.