Stage II HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: María's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

María Ángeles found a small lump in her armpit while showering, just months after a divorce and during a stressful period of rebuilding her life. She had also had fever and some weight loss, but the lump was the sign that pushed her to see her gynecologist. A mammogram did not show anything, so she had an ultrasound. The next day, the diagnosis confirmed her intuition: Stage II HER2-positive breast cancer. Her treatment plan was long and specific: 14 chemotherapy sessions, followed by mastectomy, 21 radiation sessions, and then trastuzumab. Chemotherapy was hard, especially the lack of energy, so she learned to prepare food ahead of time and schedule treatments in a way that let her recover before the next week. After chemotherapy, she had mastectomy with immediate reconstruction using lipofilling. Healing was slow, and she later tattooed a lotus flower and butterfly over the scar area. Radiation came next and was more manageable; she was fortunate to have very little burning. As of March 2022, 4 years after diagnosis, María Ángeles had completed about 10 months of treatment. She described herself as a whole, secure woman who valued time, support, and living on her own terms.