Stage II Invasive Lobular Carcinoma: Megan-Claire's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Megan-Claire, also known as Warrior Meg, expected cancer might come from the ovarian or cervical cancer patterns in her family. Instead, she was diagnosed with Stage II invasive lobular breast cancer shortly after turning 39. Earlier, a preventive mammogram at 35 had been read as clear, and she was not told how dense breast tissue could make cancer harder to see. Over about 2.5 years, she noticed unusual symptoms, including rapid weight gain, brittle hair, green bruises on her lower left leg, and later a mass in her left breast. A biopsy on September 11, 2015, led to the call that she had invasive lobular breast cancer, a type she later learned can be hard to detect because it may look like normal tissue. Her care moved quickly. She met with oncology and surgical teams, had a port placed, and learned she would need 16 rounds of chemotherapy. The named drugs in her story include Adriamycin, known as the Red Devil, and Cytoxan. A social worker helped her find grants to manage the financial burden of treatment. As of July 2023, Megan-Claire was in survivorship, speaking openly about self-advocacy, financial toxicity, post-treatment care, and quality-of-life changes after cancer.