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Amy Myers Steinberg
I was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer in March 2003, just days before my 37th birthday. My daughter was just six months old. A native Baltimorean, I was living in Rhode Island at the time and didn't know anyone, certainly no one my age who had ever had breast cancer. This experience taught me how strong a person I really was, not just for myself, but for my daughter.
It was recommended that I have chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and radiation. I spent the entire summer dealing with chemo treatments while being a first time mom. I endured surgery, that, thank goodness, showed clear margins and no evidence of disease, and I went through radiation treatments five mornings a week for 5 weeks. I can't adequately thank my husband, my family and friends in Maryland, my in-laws in New York, and the caring friends and neighbors I met in Rhode Island, for their support during that difficult time. Whether nearby, or from a distance, each one helped me out in so many ways. Since I was so young, it was recommended that I see a genetic counselor so I took the blood test and discovered I had a genetic mutation BRCAII. That meant I had an 85% chance of having another breast cancer on top of my risk for recurrence in the same breast. It also meant I had a very high chance of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer as well. My options to decrease these risks were simple: mastectomy and hysterectomy.
In August 2004, we moved back to Maryland. In July 2005, I had a total hysterectomy. Going through menopause at the age of 39 was tough, but it was better than being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. In December 2007, 5 and 1/2 years after diagnosis, I once again went under the knife and had a double mastectomy with reconstruction. I feel very relieved and happy with my decision.
I now count my blessings. Every milestone my daughter reaches is another day, another moment I am grateful for. I may have endured a year of unwanted challenges, but I have a life of joy ahead of me.
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