10/01/2026
This photo is from February 2023, about three weeks after I learned I had breast cancer.
While this photo, and that time in my life, feels like a lifetime ago, it’s a chapter that will never be pushed deep into the depths of my memories.
Every January, when I go for my mammogram, I’ll still feel that pit in my stomach. At every oncology appointment, no matter how many times I’ve heard “you’re all clear,” a part of me will still wonder if this is the appointment where they tell me again that I need additional testing. Every MRI will come with a side of worry.
I don’t share this for sympathy or to say, “Remember me? I’m a cancer survivor.” Quite frankly, I don’t really feel like a “cancer survivor,” because I was incredibly fortunate in my journey and all things considered, all I had to give up was one b**b!
I’m sharing this for two reasons. First, because it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But more importantly, because I want to remind you that knowledge is power.
I would much rather carry that fear into every doctor’s appointment for the rest of my life, wondering if they might tell me something is wrong, than risk not knowing.
January 19, 2023, kicked off the scariest few months of my life. But if I had never gone for that screening, and never gotten that diagnosis, there’s a chance I wouldn’t be here to watch my daughter grow up.
And I refuse to let that happen if I can help it.
I know screenings can be scary. I know it’s easy to put them off. But not knowing can cost you everything—and it can cost the people who love you, you.
So please, get your screenings.
And if you need a buddy, reach out. I’ll go with you. ❤️
And if you’re considered high-risk, don’t settle for just a mammogram. Talk to your doctor about whether you should have additional screening. I’ve heard so many stories of mammograms not catching someone’s cancer—including my own.
Please don’t let fear of what they might find keep you from finding out.
Early detection can change everything.
