Breast Cancer: Heather's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Heather Kokinda was diagnosed with breast cancer at 29 while breastfeeding her 5-month-old daughter. She first noticed a lump in the shower and thought it might be a clogged milk duct, but it did not go away despite the usual measures. After the cancer diagnosis, she quickly began care at Cleveland Clinic. Her oncologist also raised fertility preservation before treatment started. Heather received goserelin before chemotherapy to suppress ovarian function and help protect fertility. Her chemotherapy regimen was 6 treatments given every other week. After chemotherapy, the lump in her breast was gone, but she chose a bilateral mastectomy because doctors found evidence of precancerous cells elsewhere in the breast and she did not want to worry about those cells becoming cancer later. Her care also included breast reconstruction surgery and genetic testing; specific chemotherapy drugs and a formal stage were not stated. After finishing treatment, Heather asked when it would be safe to try for another child. Her doctor said patients are typically advised to wait 2 years after chemotherapy, but Heather had a scan and everything came back clear. She was allowed to try sooner, and on July 6, 2017, she gave birth to another daughter. As of March 2018, she was cancer-free and grateful fertility preservation had kept that option open.