My life unscripted...
On March 2nd, 2022 I was stopped in my tracks. 3 days before my twins turned 8, I got the call that results from my biopsy was positive for breast cancer. I was shocked and devastated.
Back in January 2022, I felt a lump in my right breast, didn’t think much of it, but because there is a history of cancer on my Dad’s side of the family, I have always been super proactive about my health and awareness.
I knew my annual OBGYN and mammogram was coming up in February so I knew I would have everything checked. I started getting yearly mammograms when I turned 40, so for 4 years now. My amazing doc, immediately scheduled a diagnostic mammogram. I still wasn’t too concerned and really too busy to put a lot of time and thought into it. I left for Arizona a couple days later for a shoot and when I got back I had a biopsy, still in my mind I thought I am healthy and it’s nothing.
Well it was something. I got the news that I had two lumps. The official diagnosis is Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. What does this mean? It means the cancer was no longer contained in my milk ducts. It was outside and in the surrounding breast tissue. I didn’t know as much as I thought about cancer until this.
My cancer is hormone (estrogen +) driven and it’s not genetic. I was actually very surprised that I didn’t have the BRCA gene since there is so much cancer on my dads side of the family. A Cancer diagnosis is hard to hear either way, but I am the type of person that I like to solve a puzzle. I want to know why and how. But to hear it wasn’t genetic really baffled me 😕I didn’t understand how or why.
Since then, I’ve been on a path of researching everything I can. I feel like knowledge is power, but unfortunately sometimes there is no rhyme or reason that cancer happens and your left with so many whys.
I have been blown away by the amount of support everyone has given me. The texts from friends referring me to other friends that have gone before me fighting this horrible disease. It’s been so empowering and comforting talking to each woman about her story, the type of cancer she has, her treatment choices and where she went to receive the best possible care that she felt at peace with. I am learning that having peace with your choices and your team is the main goal.
I wish that no one would ever have to walk through this, EVER. Unfortunately the statistics are that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with some form of breast cancer. That was hard to hear and take in. It still doesn’t make sense to me.
Here is a great resource for cancer statistics.
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
Please keep me and my family in your prayers as I know when we stand together God can do mighty things! I know through natural healing and/or medial treatments God uses what is evil in this world as good if we allow him. I also know that some are given more than they can handle in this life and it’s truly not fair. We all deal with trauma at some point in our lives and we may not be able to handle it but God can if we allow him. He can handle our anger, our sadness our spiritual battles and more.
In my next few journals I will be sharing more. I want to document this journey for my girls because sometimes God stops us in our tracks and opens our eyes to a deeper relationship with him. I want my girls to know this and see this. They unfortunately will witness my bad days and all my roller coaster of emotions, but God willing they will see Him through all this and I can teach them some good through this.
Thanks again for all your texts, prayers and concern. And please don’t feel like u can’t call or text, honestly that’s what brings me joy. If I can’t answer or text back right away I will when I can. 💕
~Mariah
Follow along here: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mariahallen
Back in January 2022, I felt a lump in my right breast, didn’t think much of it, but because there is a history of cancer on my Dad’s side of the family, I have always been super proactive about my health and awareness.
I knew my annual OBGYN and mammogram was coming up in February so I knew I would have everything checked. I started getting yearly mammograms when I turned 40, so for 4 years now. My amazing doc, immediately scheduled a diagnostic mammogram. I still wasn’t too concerned and really too busy to put a lot of time and thought into it. I left for Arizona a couple days later for a shoot and when I got back I had a biopsy, still in my mind I thought I am healthy and it’s nothing.
Well it was something. I got the news that I had two lumps. The official diagnosis is Invasive Ductile Carcinoma. What does this mean? It means the cancer was no longer contained in my milk ducts. It was outside and in the surrounding breast tissue. I didn’t know as much as I thought about cancer until this.
My cancer is hormone (estrogen +) driven and it’s not genetic. I was actually very surprised that I didn’t have the BRCA gene since there is so much cancer on my dads side of the family. A Cancer diagnosis is hard to hear either way, but I am the type of person that I like to solve a puzzle. I want to know why and how. But to hear it wasn’t genetic really baffled me 😕I didn’t understand how or why.
Since then, I’ve been on a path of researching everything I can. I feel like knowledge is power, but unfortunately sometimes there is no rhyme or reason that cancer happens and your left with so many whys.
I have been blown away by the amount of support everyone has given me. The texts from friends referring me to other friends that have gone before me fighting this horrible disease. It’s been so empowering and comforting talking to each woman about her story, the type of cancer she has, her treatment choices and where she went to receive the best possible care that she felt at peace with. I am learning that having peace with your choices and your team is the main goal.
I wish that no one would ever have to walk through this, EVER. Unfortunately the statistics are that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with some form of breast cancer. That was hard to hear and take in. It still doesn’t make sense to me.
Here is a great resource for cancer statistics.
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
Please keep me and my family in your prayers as I know when we stand together God can do mighty things! I know through natural healing and/or medial treatments God uses what is evil in this world as good if we allow him. I also know that some are given more than they can handle in this life and it’s truly not fair. We all deal with trauma at some point in our lives and we may not be able to handle it but God can if we allow him. He can handle our anger, our sadness our spiritual battles and more.
In my next few journals I will be sharing more. I want to document this journey for my girls because sometimes God stops us in our tracks and opens our eyes to a deeper relationship with him. I want my girls to know this and see this. They unfortunately will witness my bad days and all my roller coaster of emotions, but God willing they will see Him through all this and I can teach them some good through this.
Thanks again for all your texts, prayers and concern. And please don’t feel like u can’t call or text, honestly that’s what brings me joy. If I can’t answer or text back right away I will when I can. 💕
~Mariah
Follow along here: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mariahallen
If you want to join me in reading more about what you can do to prevent cancer or even be a proactive part in healing cancer alongside your medical treatments, these books have been so eye opening and made me realize I was in the dark about cancer. I am documenting and sharing things here as I want my girls to have this as a resource when they are old enough to understand. They will be at risk as well, even though my cancer is not genetic, now that I have cancer and their paternal Grandmother had it as well. Click below to check out the books if you like to read. I also got the audio versions too!
HERE ARE THE BOOKS I RECOMMEND READING....CLICK ON EACH TITLE TO VIEW THEM.
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