In December of 2023, at the age of 34, I was diagnosed with triple-positive invasive ductal carcinoma. Since then, I have undergone multiple biopsies, bloodwork, fertility preservation, port placement surgery, monthly Lupron shots since January 2024, six rounds of chemotherapy with cold capping, lumpectomy, and lymph node removal surgery, thirty rounds of radiation, nine out of fourteen rounds of oral chemotherapy, and daily hormone blocking medication to prevent recurrence, as well as many medications to manage the various side effects of my treatments. I have been in active treatment since January 2024 and will continue to be until at least April 2025. The toll this year has taken on myself and my husband is immeasurable, affecting mind, body, and spirit.
Now at 35 years of age, I am moving so close out of the hardest year of my life, and am attempting to pick up the pieces of the shattered life cancer has left me with. I have been off work since June 2024 due to the side effects of my ongoing treatment. Along with many physical ailments, one of the hardest aspects has been the mental health struggles that my diagnosis and treatment have brought on, and it will be an ongoing battle for me to manage this moving forward into this new, altered life I am living. We are looking to add back in little bits of joy where we can day to day and reprioritize our time and life plans as we move on to live.
Cara’s LifeList:
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A trip with her husband
- Enrollment in an Advance Practice Certificate course