Here we go — an introduction to our intention, how it all began and what you can expect.

WHAT WE ARE ABOUT

We want to be your comprehensive guide on how to Breast cancer.

We created this platform with the intention to help breast cancer patients, as well as their loved ones, caregivers, and community, by serving as a central source and a single place for helpful, easy-to-use tools and practices for successfully navigating the breast cancer journey. Whether you are just starting out, you’re well into your journey, or you are reading this for someone you love, we want to provide you with the very best tools you need to own the journey completely and to do so with excellence and grace. 

Our purpose is to provide a single place with everything you need to move forward — your comprehensive guide on how to Breast cancer.

HOW THIS STARTED

My own and ongoing breast cancer journey has led me to this point.

On April 26th, 2019, while showering, I discovered a lump in my left breast that just felt odd to me and contacted my doctor that very same day. As it turned out, she was able to see me later that same afternoon.

During the visit, as she examined me, she reassured me that many, many times cysts turn out to be benign, and given my excellent health history, this was very likely the case for me. She referred me to a breast surgeon and scheduled the exams that could probe further into this lump. To me, it all felt very routine. For you see, just a year prior, I’d had my complete physical, which was perfectly fine, as it had been all the years prior. I had always been diligent about my annual checkups and had never received a concern in any of my exams… ever. 

Two weeks later, on May 10th, 2019, I was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic breast cancer.  Until that point, I had never had a suspicious mammogram, medical test, or health issue, nor had I ever smoked, drank, or had unhealthy habits. In fact, I have always been an extremely healthy person, with healthy eating and living habits. There was also no history of cancer in my family, thus no reason for me to ever suspect or expect a cancer diagnosis, let alone as severe as Stage IV metastatic, which meant the cancer had already spread to other parts of the body. In my case, the liver and one of the ribs. 

And so, you can imagine the depth of my shock to receive a diagnosis so serious. I was not only dumbfounded; I was numb. I kept thinking; how did this happen? Why?

I guess it’s innate to ask ourselves “why” when something unpleasant happens. Never is this more the case than when receiving a serious health diagnosis like cancer. Many times, as in my case, the answer is unclear and searching for the why may not lead you to a resolution or even a better outcome.

One of the leading oncologists I saw when I was first diagnosed and was seeking second, third and fourth opinions shut all that down when he said, “There is no scientific explanation for how or why this happened to you.”

I will never forget that moment, because this was a doctor who had been practicing oncology at the highest levels of his field, for nearly four decades, at one of the top hospitals in the U.S., and yet there was no explanation! I realized in that moment that I had to choose to move forward and trust the process that I was about to begin, regardless of how incredibly frightening it seemed.

 WHY DO THIS

Patients and caregivers need an easy, single source as their guide.

No one would question that there is significant and often very valuable information on breast cancer on a myriad of websites, but I speak from both the heart and the mind when I say that it is overwhelming to try to pull all of that together into a digestible and reasonable way forward, for both patients and caregivers. I know because I tried. Equally frightening and as immensely frustrating as dealing with such a severe diagnosis as cancer, is the realization of how information on starting and planning your treatment is so incredibly disparate and at times conflicting. 

Doctors often advise their patients to not spend time “on the internet” because information can be overwhelming, confusing, and contradictory. Most provide patients with brochures or multiple communications on what to expect, often in hard-copy form, but it is not comprehensive or bite-sized, which is what a patient and their family need most.

I decided a few months into my treatment to look for what I could do with what I was learning and what I would experience in my journey. I did not just want to help myself get better, I also wanted to help as many people as possible do better. That decision would change everything for me and would ultimately lead me to create this very platform that you are reading today, just two years after I began my own journey.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Easy-to-use tools, stories to help you (not overwhelm you), and bite-sized content on how to Breast cancer… because you absolutely can!

We have created this platform with personal knowledge, experience, and empathy. It was built by real breast cancer patients and their family, friends, and caregivers who have stood where you stand right now. We know what you are going through is very difficult because we have been there, and we want you to know that every tool we create is made with the intention to help you. We are here to let you know how to Breast cancer.

With love,
Amelia O.