What happened, in summary

Ashley was 28 when she was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer in January 2017. At the time, she was nursing her youngest child and initially thought the lump in her right breast was a clogged milk duct. Her biggest concern after diagnosis was how cancer and treatment would affect her three young children.

Ashley received 6 months of chemotherapy, underwent a double mastectomy and completed 30 rounds of radiation, finishing on November 9. She and her husband explained cancer and treatment to their children in simple terms, including why chemotherapy could make her feel worse before helping her get better.

Genetic testing showed that Ashley's cancer was BRCA2 positive and HER2 positive. The BRCA2 result also changed how she thought about her daughter's future risk, especially after learning more about breast cancer on her father's side of the family. At the time of the story, she planned to take Herceptin for the next 10 months.

Ashley described herself as cancer-free and looked forward to a family trip after treatment. She also planned to speak with her daughter about genetic testing when she was older.