What happened, in summary

Toni’s breast cancer journey began less than a year before she shared her story, when a new breast lump with occasional sharp pain led her family doctor to recommend a mammogram. The results showed Stage I breast cancer. Toni felt frightened, worried, sad, powerless, and vulnerable as she adjusted to the diagnosis.

Her doctor recommended a lumpectomy and chemotherapy. After doing her own research, Toni also decided on radiation therapy. At the time she described her experience, she had not yet started cancer treatment. She focused on eating more healthfully and preparing herself physically and emotionally for what was ahead.

Toni worried about the cancer spreading or returning and feared that treatment might prevent her from getting back to normal life. She discussed those fears with her doctors and tried to remind herself that she was doing what she could to address the disease. She also stayed closely connected with her parents by phone and hoped to travel to Mississippi to see them. Despite her anxiety, she remained hopeful about treatment and about returning to work, traveling with friends, and continuing the life she had before cancer.