I went in for a voluntary breast reduction surgery in February of 2022. After waking up in recovery, my surgeon informed me that a large (10 cm) mass was found in my right breast during the procedure. My surgeon stated that he could tell by the way it looked that it was cancer. Because of the recent surgery, imaging was not completed until almost a month later. My scans showed a large pleural effusion in my left lung that was causing me problems. Five days in the hospital and three chest tubes later, my lung was collapsed and I had been upgraded to a stage 4 diagnosis. I began chemotherapy in April and am currently receiving treatments every three weeks. My cancer is considered hormone-positive and therefore, I can never have children.
Since my initial diagnosis, I have struggled with anxiety and depression. My quality of life has changed as well, which makes doing many things difficult. One of the only things that has kept me smiling is keeping up with the bloat of hippos at the Cincinnati Zoo! I would love to see them in person and learn more about them!
Savannah’s LifeList:
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Trip to the Cincinnati Zoo to see the hippos
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VIP experience with Fiona the hippo