My name is Toni, and I'm from the United States.
Less than a year ago, I had some suspicious symptoms that my family doctor recommended I go for a mammogram, and that is the beginning of my cancer journey.
It all started with a new lump in my breast. It wasn't just any lump, but one that brought with it a sharp pain occasionally.
When the results came back, I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. Although my 5-year survival rate was 90%, I remained frightened and worried. I also felt incredibly sad — powerless and vulnerable specifically.
After the diagnosis, I knew I had to make some changes. One of the first things I did was alter my nutrition and diet. I started eating healthier every single day.
Right now, I'm at a phase where I've just been diagnosed and have yet to receive any treatment. My doctor recommended that I undergo a lumpectomy to remove the tumor and chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells. After some research, I decided to follow the recommendation and also opt for radiation therapy. Once the treatment plan was confirmed, I finally felt slightly motivated and hopeful, despite still feeling somewhat anxious.
Though I haven’t started treatment yet, I’ve started taking some nutritional supplements.
One permanent change has been my diet. I make sure to eat healthily every day. I try to keep in close contact with my parents by calling them more frequently. However, I haven’t been able to visit them at all since the diagnosis.
In the next two years, I hope to travel to Mississippi to see my parents and to travel with friends. For my parents, I just want to see them happy and healthy.
I also aim to return to my job, continue my career and life before cancer. I guess these thoughts motivated me to try to be healthier and stronger for treatment and recovery.
Since the start of my cancer journey, I’ve had this fear of cancer spreading and recurring after I finish active treatment. I was scared that I won’t be able to return to my normal life. Despite these fears, I tell myself that I am doing as much as I can to stop the cancer. I also talk to my doctors about managing my fears.
Today, I feel hopeful about the future and my chances of beating this disease.
To those who are currently on their own cancer journey, I would say, "Let's not let cancer break us. We are not our cancer."
This patient's story is published and shared with their full consent. Any personal data that can be used to identify the patient has been omitted.
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