In the fall of 2019, while getting out of my car, I hit the window and had a shooting pain in my left nipple. I didn’t think much of it. Later that year, as I was carrying my computer and it hit my left nipple. Again, I had a shooting pain through my left nipple. A week or two later, I noticed that my nipple was inverted, and it was staying that way. I was not overly concerned, thinking that I had just injured my chest again. I had a doctor’s appointment coming up in January, so I just figured I would speak to her at that time.
I met with my doctor, who was not overly concerned, but referred me to get a mammogram.
I went in for the mammogram, and after they took several pictures of the left breast, they sent me across the hall for ultrasound pictures. They took several pictures during that session and finally had the Radiologist come to speak to me. He said I needed to get it checked.
My doctor referred me to the surgeon to do a biopsy. The surgeon performed the biopsy in February, and my wife and I waited for the results. We found out in February of 2020 that I had stage one breast cancer. My surgery was scheduled for March of 2020. During this time, COVID-19 was ramping up across the country, so I was taken out of work because of my direct interactions with clients.
On the 23rd of March, my surgeon went in and did a mastectomy of my left breast and took out two lymph nodes. My wife and son were allowed to see me in my room after the surgery. The next day, the city of Nashville shut down, so the hospital would not allow anyone into the hospital, except patients.
My recovery was done at home as the city was shut down.
After my recovery, I started a series of six chemo infusions. I was blessed because my body only had pain from the injections for a few days after each of the injections.
I did lose all my hair, which really has never grown back again. That’s a bummer.
After chemotherapy, I did a 30-day series of radiation, and my oncologist put me on Tamoxifen. I am still on that as of today.
When I started this fight, I put my fight in God’s hands, telling him that whatever the outcome, I would take His Will.
I am blessed to say that I am beyond 5 years out from the start of this journey. I pray each day for those who are fighting through this “Beast” they call cancer, as well as their caretakers. I also thank God for His Grace and strength he gave my Wife, my Kids, and me to help us through this journey.
I pray that some day the disease and word Cancer will be in the past.