An estimated 27,700 women and 260 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in Canada. On April 14, 2022 I was one of those women. I found a lump in my breast one day while showering (like so many other women who are too young to qualify for screening mammograms in Canada). My discovery led to an ultrasound, then another ultrasound at the hospital, followed by a mammogram and biopsy. The biopsy results confirmed that it was cancer; an MRI showed that there was a lot of it.

The days and weeks that followed this devastating news passed in a blur of appointments, tests and scans. My oncology team created my treatment plan which included 20 weeks of chemotherapy, surgery, and 16 sessions of radiation. I had a PICC line inserted into my arm to receive chemo through in order to save my veins from the harsh drugs. The PICC line led to blood clots and a night in emerg. I couldn't swim all summer and had very careful showers to keep my line dry to prevent infection. Chemo lasted a loooong time. I lost every hair on my body; you'd think going bald would be the worst, but try not having eyebrows or lashes! 

Following chemo, I had a mastectomy and sentinal node biopsy. They found cancer in one of 6 lymphnodes that were removed. They also didn't get clear margins, so back into a revision surgery and auxillery node dissection (removal of 12 more lymphnodes). An additional finding from my first surgery was an extremely rare form of breast cancer, about which very little is known. The phone call from my oncologist, with Oran by my side, telling me that "there is no evidence of disease" after my revision surgery was the biggest relief of our lives. 

I elected to have a mastectomy on the other side for symmetry and will not have any reconstruction. Radiation came with its own set of challenges, and left me with 4 new tattoos that the techs use for lining up exactly where to shoot the radiation.

Now that I'm finished with active treatment, I receive monthly injections and daily meds to put me into menopause. Because my cancer was fed by estrogen, the goal is to eliminate my body's production of that hormone in order to reduce my risk for recurrence (yes, even with a double mastectomy, the cancer can return). This endocrine therapy comes with its own set of side effects, and I'll be on these meds for the next ten years.

If I am the first woman you know personally who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, I'm sorry to say that I will not be the last; rates continue to increase each year. Amazing advancements in treatments are saving more and more lives, but there is still so much more to accomplish. I am hopeful for a long and healthy life.

With your help, I can reach my fundraising goal 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.

Lise