Anne's Story: Seeking a Second Opinion for Breast Cancer During Pregnancy

Saddest and most painful years of my life. I had just started breaking ceilings in my life — a flourishing pediatric surgery career, a baby on the way...then boom crashed into the wall and drifted into another world I had never imagined!

It was June 11, 2022. I was 11 weeks pregnant. I was very excited about this pregnancy because I had just learned that it was a boy — I have two girls. Six months later my mother was diagnosed with poorly differentated endometrial carcinosarcoma. She finished her treatment, got recurrence after 6 months, and succumbed. May her soul rest in peace.

My first doctor said I had to abort to maximize my treatment options. I refused and got another doctor who said i could keep the pregnancy.

My cancer was stage III, poorly differentiated metaplastic triple-negative adenocarcinoma. I had 8 cycles of chemo during pregnancy until my delivery at 38 weeks. I gave birth to a healthy 3 kg [6.6 lbs] baby boy! I had a double mastectomy two weeks after my c-section. Then I had radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy.

My major memories of my cancer journey are loneliness, anger, and physical pain. No matter how many people sorrounded me, I felt so lonely. I was so angry at the world especially when my mother died — there was some form of medical negligence in her care. My post-op pain was unbearable!. But I did not allow this pain to break me. I told myself these experiences will tranform me into the best version of myself!

My advice: Find a reason to smile through your journey, otherwise you will break!