My name is Terri Wade and I have had breast issues since I was a young girl. At the age of 9, I had to have a 10cm benign mass removed from my left breast. Throughout my teenage and adult years, I had numerous biopsies that were negative for cancer, but I remained vigilant about my breast health. With my maternal grandmother, her three sisters, and her youngest daughter being diagnosed with breast cancer, all women in our family were advised to do genetic testing. My test indicated that I not only carried the BRCA1 gene, but also FANCC, the gene that causes pancreatic and breast cancers. As a preventative measure, I was placed on tamoxifen due to my family history of the disease.
At the age of 50, a lump was discovered in my left and right breast at my annual mammogram. The results from these biopsies were positive for breast cancer in both lumps; stage 1 DCIS in the left breast, and stage 2 in the right. On July 8, 2019, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy without reconstruction to live out my life Fabulously Flat! The surgeon advised me that he was successful in removing the cancer from my left breast, but there were still traces of cancer cells in the right. Surgically, there was nothing else he could do, and I had to follow up with my oncologist for further treatment.
My iron levels continued to drop post surgically, which was an indication that either I lost a significant amount of blood during surgery or had internal bleeding. So, further treatment for breast cancer would be put on hold! Now under the care of an oncologist and hematologist, I was advised that radiation wouldn’t be an option for me because I carried the FANCC mutation. Chemotherapy was my only option, but I couldn’t begin until the anemia was addressed.
With all my health issues, I made the personal decision to not undergo any further treatments, outside of oral chemotherapy. I’ve been on it for 5 years, and have experienced many side effects, but I am thriving and advocating for myself and a cause that is near and dear to me.
My pearls of wisdom are:
- Know your family history and know your body!
- Early detection can save your life…
