Lisa Knodel

It started with an itch. 

My fingers grazed my breast, and I jumped. "What was that?" I tried to ignore it, but the next morning, I checked -- it was still there. 

I contacted my doctor, who performed an exam.  No question about it. She could feel it. And so the whirlwind of mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies began.  July 29, 2017, just 12 days after that first appointment, I got the call. Less than 5 percent of breast lumps are malignant in women under 40. We all knew I was exceptional, right?

Then it was like one punch to the stomach after another. I walked into the cancer center thinking I would schedule surgery. Instead, after nearly four hours,  I walked out with 20 weeks of chemotherapy treatments scheduled beginning the next day.  

The truth of my situation is overwhelming. I have breast cancer, and it is an unfortunately challenging one to treat. It is very aggressive; the cells are dividing rapidly; and it is more likely to metastasize than some other types of breast cancer. 

Yet we remain hopeful.  They are attacking my cancer with the most aggressive chemotherapy plan they can to keep it contained, which will be followed by surgery. 

I am a Christ follower, wife, mother, daughter, employee, co-worker,  and friend.  Please join us on this adventure and hold us in your prayers as we follow the path only God knew we would be traveling.