Stage IV Breast Cancer Survivor

I am a ten-month Stage IV breast cancer survivor. They call it “Stage IV advanced metastatic breast cancer,” such fancy terms. I am happily married to my husband, Craig, and have two incredible sons, Ryan, age eleven, and Jack, who is four years old.

My story starts in August of 2010. I was twenty-eight, about to be twenty-nine. I went in for my yearly girly exam at my gynecologist’s office, and he found a marble-sized knot on my left breast. Talk about being scared to death. Almost immediately I was making appointments right and left to get this thing checked out! Oddly enough, I was assured the whole time that this was nothing to be worried about! No family history, I was young…these fatty little knots happen sometimes. It was just going to grow and grow until I decided I wanted it out. Hmmm?

In January of 2011, I finally had surgery to remove the lump. In four months, my lump had grown to the size of a small potato. Scary! Before I even left the recovery room, my surgeon was in the waiting room giving the bad news to my husband. I had Stage II breast cancer. For the month of January, I felt like a test dummy… scanning this, scanning that, surgery and more surgery! Also that month, I learned that my cancer had metastasized to my lungs. Later it would spread to my lymph nodes, and one of my kidneys.

To this day I am still fighting. I have had four surgeries (two lumpectomies, one lung surgery, and a medi-port), I’m on my third different chemo regimen, and I have lost my hair twice. I have amazing faith, a wonderful family, great friends, and most importantly the Lord Jesus Christ in my corner!

Karen, from Teague, TX

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