Christine T

I was diagnosed with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma eight years ago. It was progesterone positive and had spread to a couple lymph nodes. I had chemo, radiation, and two lumpectomies because of margin issues.

One of the things I struggled most with was whether to have a mastectomy or a lumpectomy. I had planned to have a double mastectomy. I had talked it through, committed to it, and told everyone that was the path I was taking. But the night before the surgery, something in me just couldn’t go through with it. I knew deep down I was putting myself through more than I needed to. I called my surgeon late that night and changed everything. It wasn’t an easy decision to change course so late in the process, but it was the first moment I truly listened to myself after cancer threw my world upside down. I remember thinking, if cancer comes back, I’ll deal with it.

Eight years out, I’m still healing. That part doesn’t end. But things have shifted. I protect my energy differently. I say no faster. I trust my gut more. And I’ve found moments of peace and clarity that feel more meaningful than anything I knew before cancer.