My name is Vassi Talampassi, and I am 50 years old. I was born and raised in Greece, but have lived in Windsor, Ontario since 2004. I am a mother, wife and the owner/artist behind Charisma. I am a breast cancer warrior and a survivor of the unfairness of life.
It was Friday March 12th 2021 when my doctor told me that unfortunately I had breast cancer —exactly four years ago. I was getting screened, religiously since 2007, after my mom’s breast cancer diagnosis. I did the genetic test that showed no hereditary risk but in agreement with my doctor, I was booking my mammogram and ultrasound every year.
My diagnosis found me in the middle of a very challenging situation. It happened during Covid and only three months after my husband’s open-heart surgery. With no family around to support us, I had to gather my strength and courage and give the fight of my life, not just for me but also for my sons, my husband, and my newly opened business.

I went through two lumpectomies, a double mastectomy, four rounds of chemotherapy, twenty-five sessions of radiation, and two reconstructive surgeries.

They say that grief has five stages”
-denial
-anger
-bargaining
-depression
-acceptance

I imagine grief like a ladder with five steps like the one I use when I paint. The first weeks after my diagnosis, I don’t even know how many times I climbed up and down the ladder of grief until I decided to take a seat on the step “acceptance”.
The minute I chose to accept the new reality, I started becoming stronger and proactive. The first thing I did was gather as much information as possible about this unwelcome and unannounced guest. Its name was Invasive Lobular Carcinoma.

Facts about Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
-It is a type of breast cancer that begins in the milk-producing glands (lobules) of the breast.
-It has a nickname. Surgeons and oncologists often refer to it as “sneaky” because it is hard to be found during self-exams and has no symptoms. In many cases mammograms and ultrasounds might miss it if it is an early stage. This happened to me. Mammogram came back clear but thankfully the ultrasound caught it. I only had a pinching pain before my scheduled yearly exams. I was stage 2B. Cancer was on the right breast. Lobular cells spread out single file like tree branches or spider webs. Sometimes surgeons have difficulty to clean well the affected area during a lumpectomy. This is why I decided to fight aggressively, and I asked for a double mastectomy.
-Invasive Lobular Carcinoma accounts for 10 to 15 percent of invasive breast cancers and it has a preference for women over 55 but I was 46 when I was diagnosed. So there is an exemption to every rule, I guess.
-Invasive Lobular Carcinoma is hormone receptor positive, meaning it uses hormones to grow. I have been taking Tamoxifen daily the last three years. I still can’t believe that such a tiny pill stops hormones production in the ovaries and forces you into menopause.

If you or a loved one have received a cancer diagnosis recently, please read carefully the following;
-Grief will be always present but so will be happiness. You will learn to accept both.
-Cancer is not your friend and definitely is not a gift that God sent you to make you stronger or better. Cancer is your enemy. It came to take over your body, your mind and your soul. Know your enemy; its name, its characteristics, its preferences and every single detail that will help you to attack this invasion.
-Advocate for yourself. Listen to your body. Make your decisions. Be the master of your fate.
-Since the beginning of this journey, I kept inside my mind and my heart a quote by Deepak Chopra. “You can believe the diagnosis, not the prognosis.”
This is what he used to tell his patients about healing because he knew we can heal ourselves.

As a member of the breast cancer community and as an ambassador of the “After Breast Cancer” organization, I would like to inspire you to have faith in yourself and trust your body. Your relationship with your body is the longest one you’ll ever have; honour it, love it, protect it. Choose you before you choose everyone else. Treat yourself with a mammogram and ultrasound every year. It is a significant part of your self care. Breast cancer does not identify by gender, race, culture, or status, and I believe that it is really important to spread awareness and help others.

As my favourite storyteller, Brené Brown, says “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide.”

DBC Note: Vassi, our gratitude for your courage and inspiration. The knowledge you’ve shared about Invasive Lobular breast cancer is so needed. We are grateful for all you do to educate and empower women.