Danielle's Story: Diagnosed While Pregnant. What Now?
Danielle is a Breastcancer.org Community member in Indiana, USA.
Hello to whoever reads this, my name is Danielle, I am a 31-year-old mother of one and pregnant with my second. I am originally from Alaska, but am living in Indiana with my growing family. I moved to the area in 2018 to care for my grandfather and met my fiance and started our family.
In March/April of this year I noticed a small lump in my right breast, which i just assumed was associated with breastfeeding, so I pushed it to the back of my mind and continued on. Fast forward [to] July of '23, I went to my annual checkup where I found out I was four weeks pregnant and so excited to welcome baby number two into the world. At this appointment I also had my OBGYN feel the lump, he also thought that maybe it could be from breastfeeding, but ordered an ultrasound just to be safe. The radiologist was concerned enough to then order a biopsy, they squeezed me in the following morning.
I was told that the results would take up to 7 business days, so I went home and tried not to think about it, but I didn't have to wait the 7 days I was dreading, instead I waited one. The radiologist called me the next day and informed me that it was, in fact, invasive ductal carcinoma and referred me to another hospital an hour away where they were better equipped to handle a pregnant mother with breast cancer.
My biggest fear hit me like a ton of bricks. Having my mortality threatened at such [a] young age with two young babies had me struggling to wrap my head around what had been thrown at me in such a small time frame. Luckily for me, I have such an amazing village that has come together to care for my family in a way that I couldn't.
I am confident in my team of doctors and the care plan that they have come up with to keep me and my growing baby as safe and healthy as possible through all of this. But I still find myself scared when I allow myself to think too far into the future. If anybody on here has experienced something similar, or if you have any tips on diets that worked for you through your chemo treatments, I would appreciate any and all tips and tricks.
If you have read this far, thank you for taking the time to read my story, and even though sometimes I feel alone in this journey, I know I am not, and neither are you! ❤️
