Wanda's World

Welcome to Wanda’s World

Hello My Name is Wanda. I'm going to share a little bit of my breast cancer story with you. Hoping that it will give you some assurance and hope if you are battling breast cancer.

I’m a very down to earth person. I’ve been a vegetarian for 6 years now. Went to Culinary school and learned the in’s and out about basic cooking and baking. I’ve recently finish taking a CNA class, just felt the need to further my education. Every year I go for my routine physical. But in 2016 my life changed when I heard the breast surgeon say “ you have breast cancer”.

In January of 2016 I noticed in the shower a lump under my arm. I cried in the shower and prayed that it wasn’t what I thought it was. As the weeks went by, the lump began to get bigger. I noticed I was losing weight. I had lost 12lbs in the space of a month, I knew that wasn’t normal. I was also having this copper taste in my mouth that wouldn’t go away. So I finally decided to go see my Primary care doctor to discuss what I felt. She sent me to go get an MRI and a sonogram. I noticed that the

technician was acting very funny. I asked her “is everything ok”? She said yes but deep down inside I knew something was wrong. When I was done she said wait right here I’m going to send the results to the doctor. A few minutes after she came back out and said the doctor would like to talk to you, I said I don’t want to talk to him. She said you are going to have to follow up with your primary care doctor. When I got home that evening my primary care doctor called and said Wanda they found a large mass in your breast, your going to have to see a breast surgeon. That entire weekend I was numb. I couldn’t eat I couldn’t sleep.

March 2016, I saw the breast surgeon she explained to me what type of Breast cancer I had. The type of treatments and the surgery. I had to go get a 3 core clip biopsy. That would determine the stage and where the cancer started. It was stage 3B because it had spread to the Lymph nodes. The tumor was the size of a golf ball. I had MRI’s done. PET Scans done. Every week was a doctors appointment. I thought I was in a movie.

Finally, I started chemo in May 2016. THP then AC 1 year of Herceptin followed by surgery then radiation. At the initial beginning when I spoke to the breast surgeon her name is Dr. Tracey Ann Moo. She’s at Sloan Kettering Hospital. And she’s one of the best breast surgeons there is. I was going to have a mastectomy. I was totally against it. She explained that if she did a lumpectomy and if the margins came back that cancer was still there I would have to have another surgery to remove the remainder of the breast tissue. I decided to do a double mastectomy. It was a very hard decision but I felt it was the best. I had reconstruction surgery with expanders followed by silicon implants.

How is my life now? I look at life totally different. I try not to complain when the weather is to cold or when it’s to hot. I try to enjoy each day. I started a bucket list and said I’m going to start to do things that I kept putting off. Tomorrow is not promised and we have to love the life we have. If you are going through treatments find a support group. Talk about it. Don’t hide how you are feeling inside. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And most of all, pray. Pray everyday. And never give up on your faith.

If you choose you can follow me on Instagram “blackvelvetwinks”. This year I’ll be doing the breast cancer walk in Central Park. If you are interested in walking with my team follow me on Instagram for more details.

Thank you for reading my story. Remember “No one fights alone”