Fore The Fight:

Who imagines being diagnosed with cancer? I can’t say that breast cancer was on my BINGO card of life events, but there I was. The day: March 30, 2021. I sat on my couch as I listened to the nurse on the other side of the phone telling me that my test came back positive. I had cancer. 

I was devastated.

I’d just gotten engaged and was in the middle of planning a wedding. A time that should have been one of the highlights of my life became one of my greatest nightmares to-date. I would begin chemo almost immediately. I would be bald on my wedding day. Do we push the date back or do we proceed. That was the question. My fiance (now husband) said that we would proceed. And we did. 

We were married on July 17, 2021. And after 16 rounds of chemo and a mastectomy, I was declared cancer-free. I was healed. I was ecstatic. Hearing that the cancer was gone was euphoric. Although there were 25 rounds of radiation ahead and more months of Her2 treatment, the worst was behind me. 

So I thought.

I went on with life. We started planning for adoption and even fostered a child. 

Then I had a cough, chest pain, and back pain. After being urged by my husband to go to Urgent Care, I agreed. I thought it wasn’t anything much. I’d actually just gotten past my second bout of Covid (that I didn’t even know I had until I took a test). 

They ran a couple of tests. Then the Physician Assistant came in, sat down, and shared the news. Although she couldn’t confirm it, she suspected that the cancer was back…and it had spread. I was devastated, once again. My husband, I, and the Physician Assistant cried right there in the exam room. My parents, who were out to dinner, stopped everything they were doing and met us at my house. Everyone tried to stay positive. Yet, deep inside, I felt it was cancer.

More tests were run, and I was finally given the worst news of my life. Not only had the cancer spread, the doctor anticipated that I had 2-4 years to live...maybe more. I lost it. I asked what was the point of going on.

Then I cried. And prayed. And cried. And prayed. And I heard God say that this wouldn’t take me out. 

After meeting with a couple of breast cancer mentors, I decided to reach out to City of Hope, which was previously known as Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Upon meeting with my new oncologist, I learned that not only was there treatment for my Stage IV breast cancer, the treatment was to get rid of the cancer.

Today, I fly to City of Hope and receive treatment approximately every three weeks. I would be lying if I were to say that the treatment isn’t difficult, but it’s nice to know that 1) there is hope and 2) there is an entire care team that is walking with me along this journey. 

I am responding well to treatment and the cancer is disappearing and shrinking. I am being healed and look forward to the day that I am in remission enjoying the things (gardening, marketing, advocating for awareness and a cure) and people that I love even more. 

Today, I am simply taking it one day at a time. Taking the good with the bad and enjoying the good days as much as possible.

I am grateful to God for His miraculous healing through science and an amazing care team as well as my support system that consists of my husband, John; parents (Shirley and James Swims and Thomas Patterson); aunt, Diane Robinson; mentors, Earnestine Tolbert and Michelle Covington; and host of family and friends who have walked with me through this journey. I appreciate each and every one of you.