Jen's Breast Cancer Journey

On Friday, March 13, 2015 I was diagnosed with a rare invasive aggressive stage 3 grade 3 Pleomorphic lobular carcinoma breast cancer with lymphatic invasion and hormone positive. I was immediately taken off work to have surgery to install a port running through the main vein by my heart to administer chemotherapy. I have short term disability through my job that takes about a month to kick in and is only a fraction of my usual pay. My husband has been off work for several months because he was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis and was very sick. He is going through enzyme therapy but has not been able to find work that is able to work around his medical condition. I have been the primary bread winner for our family of 6. On March 31st I start a very aggressive chemotherapy where I will have weekly treatments for 12 weeks then biweekly for another 8 weeks. Starting in May I will also undergo radiation therapy. Eventually I will have a mastectomy to remove my breast and some of my lymph nodes and then hormone therapy to block the hormones that are causing my cancer to grow and spread. I am reaching out for help because we have a lot of costs associated with my treatment and I honestly have no clue how I can provide for my family. On Thursday I will find out from my PET scan if I am stage 4. I thank everyone for the kind words and the support. I am eternally grateful for every wonderful person that becomes a part of our lives.