About Me
My name is Cassandra. I work as an Investigator, Senior Customer Complaints Office for TD Canada Trust. I love to travel! My boyfriend and I love to travel somewhere different each year! This year we will be travelling to Calgary and Vancouver. I am Canadian and my ancestral background is Italian. I am 31 years old and was 28 when I was diagnosed.

My breast cancer story
It all started in October 2021; while showering I noticed a little lump on my right breast. I quickly contacted my family doctor to schedule an appointment. A few weeks prior to the appointment, I had noticed that during my period my breasts were particularly sensitive and noticed that the lump appeared to be there. When I finished my period, it was sometimes hard to locate. When visiting my family doctor, she was trying to locate the lump I was referring to and she couldn’t find it. I insisted for her to continue to feel around the area until she found it. She finally found it and reassured me she would issue a requisition for an ultrasound.

I went to the ultrasound the next day and as I was lying there, I could just feel something wasn’t right. The technician kept going over the same spot repeatedly and finally after 30 minutes I was sent on my way. A few days later, I was contacted by my family doctor stating that she had received the results, and I required further testing. My family doctor referred me for another ultrasound and biopsy on my right breast. I went to the hospital and as I was sitting there in the waiting room there were a lot of other women awaiting their mammogram. I was sitting there all alone, worried with so many thoughts and emotions running through my mind. My name was called, and the technician performed the ultrasound. Following the ultrasound, she advised me the doctor would need to look at my ultrasound. The technician came back and advised me that I needed to get a mammogram completed. Once the mammogram was completed, they decided to perform the biopsy. At this point I was very nervous and felt sick to my stomach but nonetheless I completed the mammogram and biopsy and was sent on my way.

Awaiting my results was crippling, I spent over a month thinking about my results and just wondering what the outcome would be. It was two weeks before Christmas 2021 when my world was turned upside down. That summer before, my boyfriend and I had purchased our first home, and we were so excited to embark on this new chapter! I had also been promoted to a higher position at work. Basically, I was at an all-time-high in my life and it seemed my life was all falling into place.

But on December 8th, 2021, which was a Wednesday…I received that dreaded phone call from my family doctor stating “I’m sorry Cassandra, but the news is not what we were expecting. Unfortunately, it has been confirmed that you have breast cancer.” I couldn’t hear anything else she said to me after hearing those words. It was as if I completely froze. I was in complete shock and broke down into tears.

Hearing the words “you have breast cancer” at the age of 28 completely crushed my world. I never thought at 28 years old cancer would become my reality. My entire life changed in an instant and it’s hard to believe and process how much has happened in such a short period of time.

Following this life altering phone call, I was quickly referred to a surgeon at Women’s College, where he advised me of my treatment plan. That same day I also met with a genetic counsellor who spoke to me about genetic testing. After meeting with both the surgeon and genetic counsellor I was then referred to Mount Sinai Fertility Clinic.

Since I had no children and starting a family is something I desired in the future, I now had to plan and undergo fertility procedures prior to starting chemo. The weeks following were some of the worst weeks of my life. My new normal became daily hospital visits while simultaneously dealing with unanswered questions related to my cancer diagnosis. There was still so much uncertainty surrounding my life, such as the stage of my cancer, future family planning, all while preparing myself emotionally and physically for my long journey of chemotherapy and surgery ahead. On top of that, while administering my fertility injections and preparing for my egg retrieval I ended up getting COVID. I felt like I couldn’t catch a break.

Fast forward, I found out I had Stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ER/PR negative and HER 2 positive. Shortly, after my diagnosis, I discovered I carried the BRCA 1 gene. I completed 8 rounds of chemo on April 22, 2022, followed by 18 rounds of Herceptin with my last dose on March 6, 2023, and lastly, I had a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction completed May 18, 2022.

To top it all off, I went through every appointment and treatment during COVID while the hospital wasn’t allowing any visitors! To say I felt lonely was an understatement. Treatment days were long days and I spent hours alone in the hospital having my medication administered with no company from friends or family!

One of the hardest experiences through my journey was losing my hair and dealing with the physical challenges of removing my breasts. Cancer has taken so much from me and at certain points in my journey I began to lose sight of myself. After losing my hair I struggled to recognize myself, I knew that this journey was going to be a drastic change for me!

All I wanted was for my cancer journey to be over and for life to return as I previously knew it. But that’s the thing, life could never return to the way it was as my cancer journey will always be part of my story. I will admit that some days are better than others, some days I feel defeated. It really is a roller coaster of emotions. Throughout my journey, I have reminded myself that sometimes things happen in life so you can learn to appreciate the small things life has to offer. This journey has given me a new outlook on life.

On June 1, 2022, I received the best news. I had a complete pathological response and no evidence of the disease was viable. While trying to save my own life, I was also fortunate to save the lives of my family members. We discovered my mom carries the BRCA 1 gene and so does my uncle and my cousin who is also my age. My mom and cousin have since undergone preventive surgeries.

Being 28 when I was diagnosed, I felt there weren’t many programs geared to women my age going through cancer, however I was empowered to connect with other women and so I turned to various support groups through several different organizations and on social media. Connecting with other young women allowed me to share not only my hair loss journey but my cancer journey with women that were enduring the same obstacles and challenges that I was. To simply just connect with women who understood made me feel a little less alone. Each woman that I met through various support groups inspired and supported me through my journey and I can only hope that one day I will be that support for other women.

I’ve lost so much through this journey, but I’ve also gained so much. One thing I’ve learned is that a positive mindset, an exceptional medical team, and an amazing support system can help you get through the hardest times of your life. I will forever and always be grateful to my incredible boyfriend, family, friends, medical team and the various support systems.

While I grapple with daily exhaustion, managing my lymphedema, alongside navigating my mental health and processing everything I’ve endured, I’m steadfastly committed to living my best life and embracing what lies ahead!

Today, I stand victorious on the other side of my cancer journey, yet I know that the shadow of cancer still lingers as a constant reminder that even in the brightest moments, darkness can return. But even in the face of this uncertainty, I refuse to let fear define me. Instead, I choose to cherish every moment and to live life with purpose and passion. I’m empowered to help young women by spreading awareness about breast cancer and ultimately self-advocating for themselves. Cancer is just one part of my story; the best is yet to come!