Stage I Breast Cancer: Lorena's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Lorena, a Colombian woman living in Miami, first felt something was wrong during a trip to Spain. Her hands and feet went numb, and although others thought it was travel fatigue, she kept insisting that her body felt different. Back in Miami, her doctor recommended a mammogram. Because she had fibrocystic breasts, repeat imaging was common for her, but this time she was called back again and then told on December 18 that she needed a biopsy. Around December 26, while she was alone at breakfast, her doctor called with the results: breast cancer. Lorena was diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer and had to find an oncologist during the holiday period. She met her oncologist on January 9 and her surgical oncologist on January 25. On February 19, she had a double mastectomy with immediate double reconstruction. Later, she needed additional operations for implant problems and a uterine lesion. She also began tamoxifen and learned to adapt to its side effects. As of April 2022, almost 3 years after diagnosis, Lorena was using her recovery to help others through Stronger Than We Know, a project that donates shirts, bras, prostheses, and pillows and creates support spaces for breast cancer patients.