Kristin Melchior

On a Sunday afternoon in November, 2017 I felt a lump in my left breast and immediately called for a dr's appointment. The next day at my appointment, I was told that it was most likely a cyst, but would have a mammogram as a precaution. The following day, I had a regular mammogram, 3D mammogram and an ultrasound. During the breast ultrasound, I was told that my mammograms and ultrasound showed suspicious findings that required me to undergo an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy. A breast biopsy on three masses in my left breast was completed. Four long days later, I answered the call that I had been dreading. The nurse on the phone told me that I had invasive mammary carcinoma.

A mastectomy of the left breast was recommended because the three masses together were too large for a lumpectomy. I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy, (right side prophylactically) with reconstruction. On December 7th a six hour surgery was completed to remove the cancer and begin the reconstruction process.

During surgery a sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed and unfortunately came back with two positive lymph nodes for cancer. Because the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes; chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy were all recommended. In January 2018, I began the first of 16 rounds of chemotherapy, or 5 months. Six weeks of daily radiation will follow and hormone therapy for 5-10 years. I will also have 2-3 more surgeries for reconstruction.
Thank you for following me through my breast cancer journey & helping me kick cancer!
Kristin