JenniferFromTheBlog

Today we have a guest blogger.  JenniferFromTheBlog.  I met JenniferFromTheBlog through a mutual friend when she was first diagnosed with Breast Cancer, through Facebook. She didn't live in the same state I did, but we kept up with each other the way you do on Facebook. We finally met one day when we happened to bump into one another , while we were both at an appointment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. This was completely unexpected, definitely God had a part in us meeting. Jennifer says, " I just turned around, and there you were." She even checked Facebook to be sure it was me. This lady is an amazing woman and you will love hearing from her.

Shannon

 Hello everyone, this is JenniferFromTheBlog here. Ya know, if someone would have asked me me 5 years ago, if I thought I'd be here writing about my experiences with Breast Cancer, I would've thought you were crazy. Of course not, that would never happen to me. I do my monthly Breast exams, I eat right, I exercise when I can, no never. But, here I am, 5 years a later, writing about how Breast cancer has effected me, my children, and even my family and friends. 
    For privacy reasons I will not disclose my children's names. I am a divorced, single mother of two girls. They were 10 and 7 when I was diagnosed with Breast cancer. I don't ever think I will forget that day. I went for a mammogram because I had found a lump. Actually, I had found this lump nearly a year before this mammogram, but my family doctor told me, "Oh....it's nothing to worry about, it sometimes just happens. Probably just fat necrosis." Okay, I was 30 at the time, what did I know. This was my doctor. I went with it. Well, as months passed by, I noticed changes. Enough changes in 10 months, that I scheduled an appointment with a wonderful OB. He jumped all over it. He requested every test he could, it was scary. But nothing, could prepare me for those words. 
   I remember that morning so clearly. I took my kids to school and I drove to that appointment, I went alone. Didn't think I'd need anyone, it was just a few tests. Well, after just one ultrasound, the Radiologist came in. She says to me, " Ma'am, normally we would ask you to return a week later for a biopsy, but we need to perform these tests immediately. We are quite certain, ma'am, we found 7 masses in your left Breast". Talk about can't breath. I said nothing, a tear rolled down my face. "Ma'am she says, would you like me to call someone?" I couldn't talk. I couldn't stand. All I could see were my daughters graduating high school, getting married, having babies, was I going to be there. What was I going to tell them. I'm all they have. 
   After a call to a friend, I settled down. We did biopsies. I was diagnosed with Invasive lobular and invasive ductal carcinoma. I had two aggressive forms of Breast cancer in one breast! Go big or go home, right? Yeah.  That had to be the longest drive home, I had ever had in my entire life. I call this, the day my life stood still. It truly was, that day.

I hope you haven enjoyed my first entry. I want you to understand me. So, I will start from the beginning, so you know where I am coming from. Feel free to ask me any question in. You comments. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for reading, 

JenniferFromTheBlog