I’m VITA
Breast Cancer Survivor
Helping You Cope With Cancer & Move Forward
My Story & Mission
Cancer forced me to re-evaluate and gain a new perspective on my life, strengthen my faith and help others.
Life After Cancer
Adjusting to a new “normal” life and a new self is challenging but taking control of self-care is my second and only chance in life.
Newly Diagnosed
My recommendations for recently diagnosed and how you can prepare for your treatment
Fighting Cancer
Everyone’s cancer treatment is unique just like you are. A few tips that helped me heal faster and win
I'm a Survivor
Finding a “new normal” after cancer is challenging. A few things you can do to achieve a sense of control and embrace a “new” you
I'm a Caregiver
Cancer impacts an entire family. We fight it together. If you are caregiver or know someone who has cancer, find out how you can help.
Food Fight
Finding out about my cancer diagnosis is earth shattering but not knowing what caused it, made me take extreme measures. I blamed the food (sugar, wine, dairy), the products I use daily (deodorant, makeup, plastics) and even the air I breathe…The more I researched, the more I was getting exasperated with the lack of food quality I was consuming and why I didn’t know about this earlier in my life. Finding the right balance is still something I’m working on daily but I strongly believe that the food may just be the answer to our ultimate health potential.
Think Positively
Backed up by science, positive mindset plays a major role in our physical and mental wellbeing, especially during the healing process leading to faster recovery. I consider myself an optimist but even for me, staying positive when faced with difficult life events is not always achievable. It takes practice but anybody can do it. I am sharing a few simple ways that work for me to stimulate my positive energy and make it a habit.
How much do you know about Breast Cancer?
Sources: cancer.org, cdc.gov, breastcancer.org, nationalbreastcancer.org
BC is the most commonly diagnosed cancer
- 1 in 8 women in the U.S. (268,600 women in 2019)
- BC has been increasing by 0.3% per year but BC death rate is decreasing by 1.3% per year
- BC makes up 30% of all cancers in women (2nd leading cancer in women after lung cancer)
- 11% of BC is found in younger women (<45yrs)
- Luckily, 71.4% of BC is caught early; thus, more chance for survival
- There are 3.5M of BC survivors in U.S.
BC may have no symptoms
- With early stage (stage 0) of BC, you may not experience any symptoms; thus, the importance of yearly screening
- 2-1 ratio patients compared to doctors or screening find BC; thus, the importance of knowing your breasts. Look and feel once a month.
- Look for any changes in breasts, nipples and underarms (size, shape, tenderness, redness, skin texture, swelling, shrinkage, nipple discharge, lump)
3 types of BC guide treatment decisions
- HR- hormone receptor positive, either ER (estrogen receptor) and/or PR (progesterone receptor) requires hormone therapy
- HER2- human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive requires therapy to target HER2 protein
- TN- triple negative not containing ER, PR or HER2 is harder to treat and tend to re-occur more frequently than other BC types
- BC type, stage (0-4) and any other health conditions will determine your treatment that is individualized to ensure you have the best chance for survival
Certain causes of BC are preventable
- Genetic and/or environmental factors may cause BC, however, more research is underway. The following are some factors associated with the risks of BC:
- Family history of breast, ovarian cancer and other cancers
- Hormonal factors such as early menstruation (<12yrs), no births, late first birth (>35yrs), late menopause (>55yrs), hormone replacement therapy
- Radiation exposure
- High breast density
- Genetic mutation in BRCA1, BRCA2 and PALB2 (5-10% of population have it)
- Lifestyle factors such as sedentary lifestyle, high fat diet, smoking, alcohol use, obesity
Birth control pills increase the risk of BC
- Although chances of getting BC from birth control pill use is relatively small, combined with other risk factors increases the risk of BC
- Take 1 year break from using birth control pills every 5yrs
Move Forward
“And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” (Haruki Murakami)
Inspiration
“Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass but learning to dance in the rain.”
“None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Eat the delicious food. Walk in the sunshine. Jump in the ocean. Say the truth that you’re carrying in your heart like hidden treasure. Be silly. Be kind. Be weird. There’s no time for anything else.” (Anthony Hopkins)
“Be strong when you are weak, brave when you are scared, and humble when you are victorious.”