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Leilani-Breast Cancer Fighter, Sterling Heights, MI (2025)

02/05/2023

January 1 I decided to cut my hair.
I had made the decision that I wanted to cut my hair regardless of what we decided to do with cold capping.

To be honest at this point I was pretty convinced I would just shave my head.

So I asked one of my best friends, who’s a hairdresser if she would be willing to cut my hair. I wanted to get the initial shock out of the way and go through the emotion in steps.

If you know my boys, you know how important my silly head of hair is to them… to us! (Pictures for proof😂)

Ever since my boys were both babies, they never had a blanket or a stuffed animal that was their comfort it was my hair.

Whenever we would cuddle on the couch, whenever I would put them to sleep, whenever we would read books, whenever they just needed comfort my hair was the go to!

I knew that losing my hair would be emotional enough, but then the thought of how it would impact my boys was heartbreaking.

I cried a little during the process. My friend told me that she was going to donate the hair, so that helped me feel better!

Overall it wasn’t terrible and getting through the first step (even if it was a baby one) in my cancer journey was a win!

01/21/2023

On December 28 I met with the breast specialist/surgeon.

Between December 20 and 28. I had called and spoken to a few close friend who shared their breast cancer journeys with me.

I was basically convinced that I would just need a double mastectomy. Chemotherapy hadn’t crossed my mind. I was thinking I can do this. I can step back for 6 weeks, get surgery and jump right back in!

See these are the moments where I know God is shaking his head and probably even jumping up and down waiving his arms saying “don’t get ahead of yourself” and I’m just focused on my own addenda. You would think after 41 years of life I would know better! 😂🙈 I am a prayerful person, try my best to listen and be a good disciple but I’m also human. And in this moment I was telling myself I was surrendering to Gods will but that would take on a whole new meaning after my meeting with the surgeon.

In my previous post I had mentioned that I knew I was ER+ (estrogen positive) and PR- (progesterone negative) but failed to grasp that I was HER2+. These are all hormone receptors help determine what the status of your cancer is and helps doctors decide how to treat it.

We met with the specialist and her resident. They talked over how I came to her office. I explained how I found a lump while doing a breast check in the shower. She was SO happy and proud that I found the lump myself! It was kinda funny actually! She was like “Good for you!” “Oh you totally found this because of your weight loss! Way to go!” It was a very positive exam!

Then we stepped into her office to talk…and this is where fully surrendering to God would take on a whole new meaning.

She first mentioned that I would be a great candidate for a lumpectomy. I gave her a look because I knew I wanted a double mastectomy. She noticed my look and said “well we need to table that for now anyways because you won’t be getting surgery right away.”

She then explained what the hormone receptors were, and drew a few pictures to help (which was great because I am a big picture/visual learner.) “You are ER +, PR - and HER2 + because of the HER2 being + this cancer is more aggressive and you will need chemotherapy first before surgery.”

This was a complete punch to the gut! Chemotherapy! What! That made this SO real. 😭

I couldn’t say anything just sat there holding back tears. Thank goodness my husband was there. He jumped in with questions. I can’t remember a thing.

The surgeon said I will see you back here in 2 months which will be about halfway through your chemo and we will talk about surgery options. In the meantime I will send you for a breast MRI and my nurse will be in to go over more information with you.

The nurse walked in with a big binder of information and businesses cards of social workers, genetic testers, and other Drs I may see including the oncologist and an appointment to met with her the next day.

It all just happens so fast I found myself wondering…is this who I’m suppose to go see? Is this the right Dr? Do I get a second opinion? So many thoughts were running through my mind.

I quickly got ahold of myself! I needed to be sure I was being very intentional in my prayers and to make sure this time I was really listening!

I’m grateful for my husband and family/friends for their prayers because it definitely helped in my decrement. Tod and I would pray and talk each night about the next step, and each morning we felt peace.

So on to the oncologist we went!

01/21/2023

December 20 the day my life officially changed. I remember randomly checking MY CHART earlier that day and thinking “I don’t know why I’m looking there is no chance my results will be in today!” Of course they weren’t and I went about my day. My sons class had their Christmas Party that day so it kept me distracted and I tried to put everything else aside and focus on enjoying him and his sweet classmates!

We came home from school into the usual chaos of life, on top of trying to get everything ready for Christmas!
Once things had died down for the evening my mother in law and sister in law Tina were over. I sat down with Tina and said “I’m sure the results aren’t in but I’m going to check anyways because why not!”

I open the app and I had a notification for “new test results.” I opened it up and it said a bunch of things I could understand but then I saw in bold red print “ALERT.” I looked and Tina and said I think have breast cancer.
She grabbed my phone and scrolled through it as well. We were both confused for a while until I realized there was an actual document that laid it out much better.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma.
I was in shock. A few tears but more numb. I remember thinking I needed to hold it together for the boys. My mother in law and husband were in the kitchen next to us. Tina looked up and told them. We all just kind of sat there, not really knowing what to do or what to say.

We of course looked up what Invasive Ductal Carcinoma was. The first things I read were “most common kind of breast cancer with a 99% survival rate if found and treated early.”

While I couldn’t totally decipher everything on the labs test results all of the grades and scores were ones and twos. So we thought that must be a good thing.

From the little bit that we had read prior, we knew about breast cancer, potentially being estrogen or progesterone positive or negative. We completely did not know about the HERS2, so that part of it we kind of didn’t even look at or read over. Which we would come to find out very soon that is what would make this new chapter in my book a lot more difficult.

Looking back maybe in that moment it was a good thing I didn’t know because just processing that you have cancer is a lot!

My husband, mother in law and sister in law were so great. Right off the bat being supportive and positive. And if you are blessed enough to know my in laws that wouldn’t surprise you at all. They are the most incredible humans!

I remember calling my Dad that was tough one. I am a daddy’s girl to the core! I also knew this was a sensitive subject for him as this was something he had always feared because of losing his mom to breast cancer. He took it hard as I suspected, and that was crushing.

See the thing I hate about cancer I knew it wouldn’t just be affect me, it would affect those I love too. I hated that!

In the next days I text my friends and close friends. I’ve always been a pretty open book and wanted to let them know for prayers, support and love.

Not something anyone wants to hear around Christmas but for my family December had become known to be a rough month. As we lost my Mom December 2021, my Grandma a year later in 2022 and then finding out I had breast cancer a few weeks after we lost my Grandma.

I know that God never gives us more than we can handle, I’m grateful he believes I’m so strong but sometimes I just don’t understand, and this past year I’ve had a hard time understanding.

So I kept reminding myself of Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation with prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

His peace that passes all understanding has gotten me through a lot and so I was going to rely on that getting me through again.

01/19/2023

My Dr (my gynecologist) called me to talk about everything. I remember thinking the whole time, she’s talking to me like I have cancer.

She explained that I would revive my results before her because they are immediately uploaded to MYCHART. So she told me that I could call her anytime to go over the results BUT that no matter what this wasn’t the end.

She said that she believed that if this mass wasn’t cancer that it would become cancer one day. So she wanted to have it removed regardless of my results.

She told me that if this is cancer I would be given to a breast specialist who would take over my care.
If it came back negative or benign then she would send me for all of the tests needed first and then to the breast specialist.

I remember thinking the whole time she was talking- this has to be cancer.

Before we hung up she told me…she would be there for me and see me through and that she was only a phone call away.

I was grateful she reached out, that she talked me through it all and that she was making sure I was doing ok.

01/18/2023

On December 19 I went for my biopsy.
This was an ultrasound guided biopsy. The procedure was fairly quick. The Dr that told me I needed the biopsy, was the Dr who performed it.

First the nurse did an ultrasound to find and mark the placement for Dr. When the Dr. came in she numbed me, then began the biopsy talking me through it. She took either 3 or 4 samples. It felt like pressure and the needed made a clicking sound.

Then she placed the marker-breast clip. This was so that if it was cancer, it would be easy to detect in future tests. And if it wasn’t cancer that they would already know that the spot had been biopsy and cleared.

When it was over a nurse came in and held down the spot to help stop the bleeding, which was minimal.

Overall it was a quick and easy procedure. I knew the hard part was next…the waiting. I was told my results would come in 3-5 days. I was praying it would come sooner so I could process it all before the holidays, should it be cancer.

I told myself to take a deep breath because no matter what it was all in Gods hands. 🙏🏻

01/17/2023

On December 9, I went in for a mammogram and ultra sound. I went to Royal Oak Beaumont to their breast care center. First I went in for a mammogram. It was quick and easy. Then I waited to be called back for my ultrasound.

As I lay there getting my ultrasound I felt the technician move towards my arm pit area. I tried not to let myself think too much but I figured she was checking out my lymph nodes. That was the first time I thought “I bet this isn’t good.” But I tried to tell myself this is pretty standard, which I’m sure it is. As more time passed I kept thinking this is longer than I thought it would be, but again tried not to get to ahead of myself.

When she was done I was sent back to waiting area and waited for a Dr. to review my tests. After about 10 minutes I got called back to talk with the Dr.

She walked in and said “It’s a mass. You will need a biopsy.” I said “so it’s not a cyst?” She said “No cysts are fluid filled this is not, it’s a mass. I’m going to get a nurse in here to scheduled your biopsy.”
And that was that…my heart dropped.

Trying to hold it together, the nurse walked in. She schedule my biopsy, explained they would be putting in a marker/clip during the biopsy and then went on to ask me questions about my meds and what I could and couldn’t do the day of the procedure.

Knowing full well my mind was checked out, I remember asking “is all of this written down somewhere?”
She told me she would be sending me home with a piece of paper that had all of this on it. Once we were done she sent me on my way.

I remember my mind was just racing. I held it together just enough to get to the car. Then I called my husband and lost it.

To be honest this was probably one of the hardest times I’ve cried through out this journey. I think in my gut I knew.

You try not to let yourself get ahead, you consciously know you should take it one step at a time but sometimes in your gut you just know…and I did.

01/15/2023

On December 1, when I called my gynecologists office the day I found the lump they were amazing! They wanted me in that same day but I had to work so they got me in first thing the next morning December 2, at 7:30am! They were not messing around and I was so grateful! (Side Note: some people go to their primary and some to their gynecologist. I felt more comfortable going to my gynecologist because she is the one who does my breast checks yearly.)

I went into see my doctor who I absolutely love! She listened to me share what I had found and why I think I found it.

See 4 months prior I decided to get myself healthy! The Zumba studio down the street from me was holding a weight loss challenge. It was exactly what I needed to kick my butt in gear. Between September and December I lost 25 pounds. I truly believe this is the reason I found the lump…my Dr agreed!

So here I am thinking I’m on this weight-loss journey to help get myself healthy and possibly get off my blood pressure meds and God had a whole different reason for motivating me!!

My doctor examined me, she felt the lump. She couldn’t believe that she hadn’t felt the lump at my previous exam and that the mammogram didn’t pick it up. She kept saying “there’s no way this was here back in March!”

She then told me she was going to send me for a mammogram and an ultrasound. She insisted I go directly to Royal Oak Beaumont, and she told me if I couldn’t get in within the next week to call her back.

When I called the Breast Center they couldn’t get me in for almost 3 weeks.
So I called my doctor back and she got me in the following week.

Sadly, it was supposed to be the same day that I was taking my son on his first field trip in the second grade. But I sent my husband instead. He was a trooper and I’m sure had way more fun than he ever be willing to admit! 😉

So on to the mammogram and ultra sound I went!

01/14/2023

Hello everyone! I am a wife, mom, follower of Jesus, a friends fan and now a breast cancer fighter!

One of the first things I did when I was diagnosed with breast cancer was hop on social media, and look up people I had known that were fighters and survivors.

I wanted to start my own page to help, support and honor all those that have, will and currently walk this journey!💗

01/14/2023

A few days before Christmas I found out that I have Breast Cancer.

Invasive ductal carcinoma.
It is the most common kind of breast cancer and has a 99% survival rate!

We technically don’t know what stage it is yet, but most of my Drs think it’s stage 1. It’s not in my lymph nodes and it’s very small… Which means we caught it early.

All of my doctors are very positive about the results.

Because my cancer is something called HERS2 + (along with estrogen + and progesterone-)
I need chemotherapy.
It will be 6 rounds, 1 every 3 weeks.

Then I will be off all treatment for 1 month and then have mastectomy surgery.

Overall I feel very positive!💗
It will be a longer journey than I would have liked but I’m grateful the outlook is good.

Gods will is the most important thing to me so I am fully surrendering to Him and his plan…and I know that’s the safest place to be.

This is not a chapter anyone wants in their story but if the Lord wants it a part of mine, I am ready for this journey! 💪🏼

Leilani-Breast Cancer Fighter

02/05/2023

01/21/2023

01/21/2023

01/19/2023

01/18/2023

01/17/2023

01/15/2023

01/14/2023

01/14/2023

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