For those of you who have been following my journey of battling and beating breast cancer, you may remember that March 15th, 2021 is the day I was diagnosed. The ONLY part of that day that I remember was when my primary care doctor called me to tell me the news. I was sitting in my grandparents living room with each grandparent on either side of me.

“You have invasive ducal carcinoma of the breast and it’s Triple Negative, the most aggressive type of this breast cancer. I’m so sorry, Chance.”

Everything else from that sentence on felt like it was in slow motion.

Ironically enough, the last 3 years since that phone call have felt like they’ve flown by. Since that day I completed 14 rounds of chemotherapy, 25 rounds of radiation, a double mastectomy followed by 2 additional surgeries pertaining to the double mastectomy, a radical hysterectomy, and then 365 days of oral immunotherapy.

Since that day I have started an anti-anxiety medication that I’m proud to be taking because it allows me to show up as the best version of myself. I have traveled to over 8 states and Puerto Rico. I’ve experienced the loss of one of my best friends in 2022 which shook me to my core. I’ve walked alongside other breast cancer babes in their journey, and received one too many phone calls that one of my breast cancer friends journeys ended way before it was ever supposed to.

Since my diagnosis, I have started working closely with WebMD to spread awareness of young breast cancer and it’s a job I’m very passionate about! (Shoutout to WebMD- one of the best employers I’ve had.) My main job continues to be working in foster care, helping those wanting to become foster parents get licensed so that they can change the lives of so many deserving children.

Since that day I’ve gotten more tattoos than either of my grandparents are proud of (oops) but that share so much of my story. I’ve bought a new car (and almost paid it off! WOOHOO!). I’ve watched one of my best friends write and self publish a book (Does Carcinoma Mean Cancer by Sara McInenery Hauck on Amazon).

All of that to say… I’ve been LIVING life since then which I never thought would happen again.

Statistically, the risk of reoccurrence is highest the first 2 years after diagnosis. Making it to 3 years since diagnosis feels like a dream but there are still cracks in the dream where fear creeps in. It’s not lost on me that the cancer I once had could rear its ugly head at ANY point in time, now or in 6, 10, 20 years. The only thing I can do is deny that as personal possibility and instead claim total and indefinite healing over this body who fought so hard for me.

In a great effort to allow many other women to “keep on living” the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, founded by Hayley Dinerman (a walking angel) does year round research funding to aid in development of new treatments because remember TNBC is not only the most aggressive type of breast cancer, but is has the least amount of treatment options. The TNBC Foundation has walked alongside me since the very beginning and there’s nothing I could do or say to ever repay them the way I wish I could.

What I CAN do is make sure you, reader, are educated on who the foundation is, what their mission is and how they are single handedly changing lives on a a daily basis.

Did I mention that March is also Triple Negative Breast Cancer month? Please consider checking out tnbcfoundation.org to learn about who they are, what they do, and peek around at the amazing resources they provide! ALL money raised this month goes directly to research. Research that keeps daughter, mothers, aunts, cousins, sisters, wives, and best friends alive. Research that allows for a mother to be around just one more Christmas holiday with her kids. Research that gives a fiancé just enough time to become a bride. Research that gives someone more options that “there’s nothing more we can do”. Research that quite literally is KEEPING PEOPLE ALIVE longer than statistics said they would. The money you put towards the foundation MATTERS.

March 15th, 2021… since that day I have become a braver, better and bolder (I didn’t think that was possible) version of myself. Here’s to year 3 and 60 more to come.

Love always,

Chance Colleen