Ashley Kelly (Breast Cancer Survivor)

Symptoms & Diagnosis

My name is Ashley Kelly. I am a breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was nineteen weeks pregnant in 2021. My gynecologist noticed something during my check-up, and after further tests, I was diagnosed with Invasive Mucinous Triple Positive Breast Cancer. I didnt terminate my pregnancy. After my delivery, I again had chemotherapy with a total of sixteen cycles.

When we were informed about the diagnosis of cancer, it had been very devastating news for us as we had never heard of this kind of cancer before and it was difficult to cope with it at that time as well because we had never gone through any such situation before. The doctor said that it is an aggressive type of breast cancer and highly malignant type which spreads rapidly throughout the body and can damage other organs too if left untreated or if not treated properly on time.

In the meantime, my pregnancy was not terminated. After my delivery, I again had chemotherapy with a total of sixteen cycles. In the end, it was all shocking to hear all this because there are many other types of breast cancers such as ductal carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in Situ (LCIS). The doctors have assured me that the cancer is gone now, but if it does come back, it will be at an earlier stage so it can be treated more easily. I have been very lucky to have gotten through this ordeal without any major complications from the medications or surgery other than the loss of my hair!

Side Effects & Challenges

The process of fighting breast cancer was all challenging. I had various symptoms diagnosed through various tests, such as mammograms and ultrasounds. After these tests, I was informed that I had breast cancer and needed to undergo surgery. However, this was not the end of my challenges. After surgery, I had to go through chemotherapy and then radiation therapy. These treatments were very painful and difficult for me to endure.

Now that I am a breast cancer survivor, I have learned from my experiences and hope that others can learn from them as well. As someone who has been through this experience myself, I would like to share some tips on how to cope with the side effects of cancer treatment. Talk about your feelings with people who care about you and want you to be healthy again! Keep yourself busy by doing activities that bring joy into your life like taking walks in nature or listening to music while cooking dinner together with friends or family members who live nearby (if possible). Find ways to stay positive during this difficult time such as by reading inspirational books written by famous authors such as Anne Lamott or Elizabeth Gilbert (just don't forget about taking care of yourself first!).

The first challenge is to accept that you have cancer and begin treatment immediately so as not to delay its progress. The second challenge is finding out what caused your cancer so that you can avoid it in future. The third challenge is finding out if it has spread or not; this determines whether you need additional treatment or not. The fourth challenge is getting used to your new way of life after being diagnosed with breast cancer; this includes eating healthy foods, exercising regularly and taking medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Support System & Caregiver

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I felt completely lost. My husband was there for me every step of the way, and he made sure that I knew that I wasn't alone in this fight. He helped me find doctors, got me appointments, and even took time off work so that he could be with me during some of my treatments.

My husband has always been a strong guy, but when I got sick, his strength really shone through. He became my rock as I fought through chemotherapy treatments and surgeries. My husband supported me through every step of this journey. He dropped everything to make sure that we could go together to all appointments; he drove me there when needed; he encouraged me when times gotten tough; he cooked meals for me when I was too tired (and too sick) to cook; he helped me shower when getting into the shower alone became impossible; and most importantly, he listened without judgment when I needed someone to talk through everything happening in my life at that moment.

After my treatments were over, my husband decided to start a support group for cancer caregivers called Welding Warrior Project. He wanted to help other caregivers who were going through what we did so they could get through it together instead of feeling alone like we did when we first started out on this journey together as caregivers!

Post Cancer & Future Goal

I don't want to chase anything in life at all. I know that good times will come if it's in my faith. As a cancer survivor, all I know is that I should do every possible thing to stay positive and spend quality time with my family. It's the goal post-cancer right now! I believe you must know what you want in life and then pursue it with all your heart. You can't take anything for granted and expect everything to fall into place. You need to focus on what's important and let the rest go. If you focus on what truly matters, everything else will follow suit.

I'm not saying that it's easy or that it happens overnight but if you put your mind to something then it will happen eventually if not immediately as long as you put in the hard work required to accomplish whatever goal is set before you today! Don't let fear hold you back from achieving greatness because once fear creeps into any situation then doubt follows closely behind which creates an endless cycle of uncertainty when trying something new or different!

Some Lessons That I Learned

If you notice anything suspicious about your breasts, I strongly advise that you undergo a mammogram before being diagnosed with Invasive Cancer. Having checked regularly can help you save time and money on medical bills. Because if not treated early enough, it travels throughout the body to other organs like lymph nodes. This increases the risk of death. The symptoms of this type of cancer include breast lumps and pain in one or both breasts, a feeling of heaviness in the breast area, nipple discharge and skin changes on the nipple. The diagnosis is made by biopsy and further tests like mammography, ultrasound, fine needle aspiration and genetic testing, which is done by a trained doctor who inserts a hollow needle into an enlarged duct under local anesthetic. Breast cancer is a silent killer. It's a disease that knows no bounds, and can affect anyone, regardless of race, gender, age or where you live. But the fact is: breast cancer does not discriminate. And if you're reading this, you're probably already affected by iteither through your own diagnosis or the diagnosis of someone close to you.

But let's focus on you for now: how do you know that something's wrong? What are some of the symptoms of breast cancer? One of the most common signs is a change in your breast tissuethat includes lumps or thickening in one area, but also nipple discharge or a rash around the nipple area. Other symptoms include skin changes in the breast area (such as dimpling), swelling in one arm (due to lymph node involvement) and changes in breast size or shape. It's important to note that these symptoms aren't always present; they're just some of the more common ones that women have reported experiencing when they were diagnosed with breast cancer.

Parting Message

As a breast cancer survivor, I know what it's like to be in the fight of your life. And while I'm happy to say that my story has a happy ending, it wasn't always clear that would be the case. My experience was one of the worst things I've ever gone throughI had to go through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, which left me feeling weak and nauseous all the time. But after months of treatment, I finally beat cancer!

And as much as I wanted to take all the credit for myself, it was really my doctors who made all the difference in getting me through this. They knew exactly what they were doing and when they needed to do itand their attention to detail and care for my well-being made all the difference between life and death.

I want to share with you some tips on how you can do well during treatment. Stay positive: You are going through something huge right now, but dont let it get you down! Take time each day to think about things that make you happy Whether thats talking to friends or taking a walk outside. Get enough sleep: Its easy when dealing with cancer treatments.