MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 43
LOSE YOURSELF ANGEL Advocate
CLICK HERE TO WATCH " CHANNELING HER PASSION TO
SPREAD AWARENESS ABOUT TNBC: LATOYA'S JOURNEY. "
community events, TV campaigns, etc.
I felt like God was using me for a reason
and I became more positive about my
journey and diagnosis. I have completed
16 weeks of chemo and 25 sessions of
radiation like a champ. I went through a
bilateral mastectomy three months ago
and have another six to eight months
left of oral chemotherapy. My mastectomy
went well, and it showed that all
26 of my lymph nodes removed were
cancer-free! They were able to remove
the tumor surgically with the breast
tissue and now I just need to complete
oral chemo for any circulating and/or
microscopic residual cancer cells in my
bloodstream.
I am not happy about the upcomstood
why parents felt the way they did
and reacted in that manner when I too
became a parent. It clicked and becoming
a parent made me a better clinician
who was more understanding. I take that
same experience with me now as I am
still battling for my life as a stage IIIC
triple-negative breast cancer patient.
It took me a long time to process that
I was actually a cancer patient. How
could this be? I am a licensed healthcare
professional. I am the person who
takes care of patients, how did the roles
flip? That was the biggest part of it all
for me to digest. I felt vulnerable and
weak. After about eight weeks of chemo,
an epiphany came to me. I felt helpless
but wanted to do something to help
patients during my cancer treatment
journey. The healthcare provider was
still alive within me, and I needed to do
something to make me feel fulfilled in
some way. I decided to start posting videos
about my diagnosis in hopes that it
would reach another woman who looks
like me and is the same age.
I felt like people needed to know to not
wait until their 40th birthday to have a
mammogram. Get a mammogram now!
Early detection saves lives.
No one pushed this health recommendation
on me, and even through my
physician assistant college education, I
was always taught mammograms don't
start until the age of 40. Well, the recommendations
and those schoolbooks
were wrong. Here I am at the age of 36
without any known family history of
breast cancer with a new diagnosis of the
most aggressive form of breast cancer.
It wasn't until after I was diagnosed
and started posting videos on social
media that I discovered that I did have a
paternal family history of breast cancer.
I always knew my paternal grandmother
died of some form of gynecological
cancer, but it wasn't breast cancer. She
never really discussed her health history
as many African American families do
not reveal health conditions. I discovered
there's a strong paternal linkage of
various cancers including pancreatic,
breast, and cervical cancer. It was still
unclear after speaking with some family
members about which family member
had what condition as it was assumed
to be " quiet about people's business. " I
decided this narrative had to change,
beginning with me. After growing a
stronger social media presence, I started
receiving feedback from random women
asking me for more advice, sharing their
stories, and providing positive feedback.
I figured since I couldn't serve patients
directly in the ER while I was on leave
from work receiving chemo, that I could
reach more people via social media.
I have become stronger with advocacy
work and breast cancer awareness
efforts. I was introduced to Tigerlily
Foundation by a friend to Maimah via
email and quickly found myself in the
ANGEL Advocate Program. I started
my own organization to help foster my
personal breast cancer awareness efforts
including online speaking panels,
ing remainder of treatments, but I am
hopeful that it will continue to work as
my other treatments have. My tumor
decreased in size from 5.5 cm down to
1.6 cm at the time of surgery. I am very
grateful and blessed for that response
from chemo because it signified that it
worked in my body to fight cancer cells.
I am hopeful, grateful, blessed, humble,
and positive that I will be declared cancer-free
forever to be here to watch my
three daughters flourish in life. I still
have a lot to live for such as traveling
the world with my loving husband who
is my best friend and biggest supporter.
I would not be able to get through this
at all without him! Cancer is not just a
physical diagnosis. It affects your mental,
emotional, spiritual, and financial
state of life as well. It also affects your
loved ones. As a cancer thriver, you
definitely need a support system and
mental health treatment as well. I have
good and bad days, but I am thriving,
and I will not stop until the wheels fall
off! I have dedicated myself to helping
eradicate breast cancer, particularly
the higher mortality rates associated in
Black women with breast cancer. I owe
this to my three daughters whom I pray
will never have to experience what I am
going through in this journey of life.
To all my " breast ies " around the
world, don't forget to fight and count
your blessings, because you are blessed
my lovelies. Lose yourself in helping
others feel better and always remember
to be kind to yourselves. l
MY LIFE MATTERS
TNBC PATIENT VOICES ISSUE 2022
43
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022
Contents
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Cover1
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Cover2
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 1
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Contents
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 3
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 4
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 5
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 6
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 7
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 8
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 9
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 10
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 11
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 12
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MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 14
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MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 43
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MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Cover3
MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - Cover4
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