Jenna was 28 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with stage 2 hormone receptor positive (HR+), HER2-negative breast cancer. She had no family history and tested negative for BRCA inherited gene mutations. Prior to Jenna’s diagnosis, she felt like she’d been doing everything right – she ate well and worked out – but she quickly found herself faced with uncertainty and a loss of control.
Finding a Lump
Everything was fine until it wasn’t – and then things began to happen quickly. Jenna was putting on lotion after a shower when she felt a lump in her right breast. She thought it was perhaps a clogged milk duct or a cyst, but she reached out to her OB to let her know. An ultrasound followed, then a biopsy.
“I remember laying on the table, starting to tear up. I thought, this can’t be my life right now, I’m pregnant and getting a breast biopsy,” Jenna recalled. As soon as the biopsy was finished, the person who did the procedure told Jenna a breast surgeon was waiting to see her.
“I could not comprehend what was going on that day, how quickly things were happening,” said Jenna. As soon as she walked into the breast surgeon’s office, the doctor gave her a hug. “I started to cry at that point. It was like everybody knows something I don’t know. That’s when she told me it could be breast cancer.”
A Breast Cancer Diagnosis
It took two days for my biopsy results to come back. “I was in the living room with my husband and our toddler. We’d just ordered pizza,” Jenna said of the phone call she received. “I knew. I said it’s breast cancer, and she said yes. They thought it was stage 2 because it was in my lymph nodes.”
The first thing Jenna did was ask what treatment would look like for her, considering she was weeks away from giving birth to her second child. “She said I’d probably need chemotherapy, then radiation and surgery,” Jenna said. “And I remember thinking, but what about the baby? This will happen after the baby, I can’t do chemo when I’m still pregnant, can I?”
Initial Consultation
Jenna met with an oncologist who told her she needed to have three rounds of chemotherapy while pregnant. “I initially said no, we’re not doing that,” Jenna said. “She told me they weren’t sure how far the cancer may have spread, but I wanted a second opinion.”
A Second Opinion
Jenna met with a second oncologist, who gave her similar information, but said they could start with two rounds of chemotherapy rather than three. She also explained that Jenna would receive weekly hydration, as well.
“The oncologist was not worried about the baby being harmed by chemo because he was already developed,” Jenna said. “It was really difficult to wrap my head around having chemo. I wasn’t even taking Tylenol while I was pregnant, I was all organic, working out, trying to stay as healthy as I could. I was afraid of harming the baby.”
Starting chemotherapy quickly was crucial to make sure the cancer wouldn’t spread.
“It scared me that we didn’t know how far the cancer had already spread, so we had to act soon,” Jenna explained. “My oncologist assured me it would be okay, the baby would be monitored. I wanted to be here to raise my kids. I felt in good hands, so I agreed.
Treatment Details
It turned out Jenna was one of the first pregnant women to receive chemotherapy at her treatment center. “Everyone was so nice to me. The care I received was amazing,” she said. “But being on the ward, so pregnant, it really took a lot of people by surprise.”
Jenna had an allergic reaction to Taxol, one of the chemotherapy drugs. “I thought I was going to die,” she recalled. “It was so frightening. I had no idea treatment could be so vigorous.” Jenna’s feelings were compounded by the fact that she had a newborn and a toddler who needed her.
Once Jenna completed chemotherapy, she had surgery, which confirmed the cancer had spread to just one lymph node, so she would not need radiation therapy. Jenna opted to have a double mastectomy. “I could have had a lumpectomy, but I didn’t want to have to worry about the breast cancer coming back,” she explained. She is now on hormone therapy for the next 10 years.
Grappling with Identity Loss
Jenna grappled with the loss of self during treatment. “I lost my breasts, my hair, my hormones and my ability to have more children,” she said. “It felt like I went from being 30 years old to being 50 years old. You’re like a glass that shatters and you’re trying to put the pieces back together. Some pieces don’t fit, some are lost, but you still have to make that glass hold water.”
Embracing the New
Navigating treatment with a newborn and a toddler was beyond difficult, but Jenna’s family and her faith kept her moving forward. “My strength is from my kids and my family,” she said. “I know how fragile life can be now. In a minute things can change – you could have this whole plan and then it can change suddenly. No matter how close you come to death, you can still come up from it. Cancer doesn’t have to define who you are.”
Jenna hopes her story will resonate with other young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. “This is the identify that maybe I didn’t want, but it’s the one I was given,” she said. “I’ve been able to find peace, meaning and even purpose, especially through sharing my story.”
Listen to Jenna share more of her story on Komen’s Real Pink podcast.
Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
