Cancer Diagnosis – I was just diagnosed with breast cancer!
I just wanted to update you all and let you know what’s going on with me.
I was just diagnosed with breast cancer.
I’m only 31, but breast cancer does run in the family.
I am scheduled for surgery on Monday (10/5). I will be having a double mastectomy.
Over the next few days and weeks, I will still have some posts, but not as much as you are used to. I will do the best I can to update and keep the deals current.
First Update
This was my original post updating everyone on what was going on with my breast cancer diagnosis:
For those of you that don’t know what’s going on read here… otherwise, skip to the next section.
The lump
A few weeks ago I noticed a lump. A few different doctors all thought it was just a cyst. My ob/gyn said to wait a few weeks and see if it went away. Since breast cancer runs in the family, my parents insisted I get it checked out sooner. I went to have the cyst aspirated (drained), but when it wouldn’t drain a biopsy was done. Even then, the surgeon said not to worry, it was probably just tissue that needed to be removed. To everyone’s surprise, I got the dreaded news on Friday, September 25. All they knew at that point was that the lump was cancerous. Other test results were still pending.
Thankfully, we were able to get an appointment with a top breast surgeon at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas on Thursday 10/1. So, we all made the trip to Dallas for what we thought would just be a consultation. We had a very long day that Thursday. We met with various doctors, and I had a lot of tests done. Overall, we were very impressed with everything and decided to go ahead and have surgery in Dallas.
Luckily, the cancer was only on one side, but we (and the doctors) decided the best thing in my case was to have a double mastectomy. Most likely, I have the BRCA1 gene mutation which gives me a 50% chance of getting cancer again on the other side. Since I’m young (31) the doctors told me that surgery (rather than just a lumpectomy) would give me peace of mind for the future.
Then, they were able to quickly fit me in for surgery on Monday (10/5). So, 10 days after getting the bad news I was at the hospital having the surgery. Even though it seemed like such a whirlwind, I am glad we got things moving so quickly.
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Let’s talk
If you have any questions, want to talk, or know someone in my similar situation then please leave a comment or email me.
Breast Cancer is Expensive!
Even with insurance, the bills add up. Yes, we were able to take advantage of the Affordable Care Act and get insurance, but I have high deductibles. In network, the cost is $6000 per person and out of network is the same. Most likely we will come close to, or even surpass the deductibles this year.
This year, my goal is to raise $12,000 to cover my medical costs. If there is any overage, then I will donate amounts over the goal to local non-profits here in Austin that have helped us along the way.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and maybe even donate. If you have any questions, then please feel free to reach out.
– Rachel
Read more about my breast cancer journey from 2009 to the present here.
If you know anyone having a mastectomy or other breast surgery, these breast cancer recovery shirts are a must-have.
Rachel Belkin is an Austin, Texas blogger, entrepreneur, speaker, freelance writer, and educator. After selling her lifestyle blog for six figures in 2021, she teaches business, blogging, and influencer marketing strategies that helped her build her business on part-time hours. Bylines include MSN, HuffPost, Medium, NewsBreak, and Hometalk. She has been featured on KXAN, Studio 512, Fox 7 Austin, CBS Austin, and other news and media outlets.
