My future is uncertain.
“I found a lump while I was weaning my daughter from breastfeeding. . . . I thought I was going in for . . . a clogged milk duct, and it turned out to be Stage III breast cancer.”
A breast cancer diagnosis that comes when you are young and have small children can bring immense feelings of fear and isolation. Among Firefly Sisterhood’s first women to be matched with a Guide, Brooke shares her experience of receiving an unexpected diagnosis as a young mom. Young women can and do get breast cancer: each year, approximately 26,000 cases of breast cancer in the United States are diagnosed in women under 45 years of age (National Cancer Institute. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results. SEER Stat Fact Sheets 2016: Breast.).
Young women diagnosed with breast cancer struggle with some unique issues throughout treatment and survivorship: early menopause, fertility concerns, pregnancy after diagnosis, career development, financial stability, and family and friend relationships. During cancer treatment, Brooke grappled with finding the support of someone who understood the complexities of her situation and the anxieties of an uncertain future for her and her two little girls. Listen to Brooke’s story here.
Are you struggling with a breast cancer diagnosis? Could you use the support of someone in your unique situation? Contact Firefly Sisterhood: www.fireflysisterhood.org or call 612-412-7713 to find a Guide who will help light the way through a breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
This Is Living With Cancer