Update 1

Every 19 seconds a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer.

On Wednesday, October 21, 2015, one of them was me.

I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, ER+, PR +, HER2/neu+.

This was found early and my prognosis is excellent.  I'm 35 years old.  I don't have any first or second degree relatives with breast cancer.  No lumps were ever detected.  I had an abnormal mammogram, returned for a second scan, had a biopsy done and then received my diagnosis. Mammography saved the day.

PLEASE get mammograms annually as an adult (or urge the women you love to do so); every single health professional we have encountered in the last 2 days is furious with the new recommendation to wait until 45 to begin.  GO NOW.

My treatment plan will include surgery, reconstruction, chemotherapy and Herceptin.  Herceptin will be over the course of a full year.

My next appointments are on Tuesday. I will have an MRI and an appointment for genetic testing. We will know results from the MRI this week.  It will take 14 days to hear results from the genetic testing.

We are hoping this will be a convenient place for our many supporters to get accurate information first hand. We have had many offers for help and we know we'll take people up on them in the coming months.  The first thing you can do for us is to go get a mammogram or urge someone you love to do the same.