About Me
I am a wife, a dog Mom, HR business partner in professional services, and a recreational river floater. I am Canadian/Caucasian and was 46 at the time of diagnosis.

My Breast Cancer Story
I had my first mammogram in 2017, as my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30’s; she passed in her early 50’s from metastatic cancer (bones.) I went for regular mammograms since then, but it was really after I had a breast reduction/lift in 2020 (right before Covid) that things started to change.

Previously there were always notes of ‘complex cysts’ in my breasts but it never really seemed to be something concerning. After I had my reduction, I noticed a lump in my right breast, the surgeon followed through with an ultrasound but it appeared to be a seroma or scar tissue, either way again, nothing to be concerned about.

In October of 2020, I connected with a Partner I was working with that had just returned from a leave of absence for breast cancer treatment. With her encouragement, I booked a mammogram to have a new ‘baseline’ to go from after my reduction. I had regular follow ups – every 6 months from that point – and there was a lump that kept getting bigger. It wasn’t until July of 2022 that they finally sent me for a biopsy and I was diagnosed almost immediately. Since then I have completed:
8 rounds of chemo, Mar, 2023
Double Mastectomy with Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy, Apr, 2023
Axillary Lymph Node Biopsy, July 2023
25 rounds of radiation, will complete October 2023

I Want You to Know
Cancer doesn’t care if you’re young, old, fit, or out of shape. While mammograms are the gold standard for checking breast cancer, they don’t always help. KNOW your breast density score: A, B, C, or D. Educate yourself.

I want you to know that you should always trust your instincts. The best advocate is YOU. If you feel something, say something. If you’re not comfortable with something, ask questions, request a second opinion, but do not be quiet.
I will never be quiet. Not about my cancer. I’m sure people are sick and tired about me screaming from the rooftops about it, but if it saves one person, it was all worth it to me.

Melanie
Diagnosed at 46