Fighting for My Kids, Fighting for Myself
At 38, just a few weeks before her 39th birthday, Jen noticed something different about her breast - a darker, shadowy spot along the left side. “In my mind, breast cancer should be a lump I could feel, and I couldn’t feel anything,” she recalls. After noticing it for a couple of weeks, she trusted her instincts and called her doctor. A mammogram and biopsy quickly confirmed what she had feared: breast cancer.
Her diagnosis was Stage 2a Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC), and she learned that treatment would include a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. “The emotions that came up were fear, confusion, guilt, and hopelessness that I wouldn’t be there for my husband or my kids, who were 9 and 11 at the time,” she says.
Support came from every direction: family, friends, her faith, and even coworkers who helped her manage the demands of treatment while keeping financial stress minimal. She also leaned heavily on her aunt and a friend who had gone through breast cancer, as well as her incredible care team at Holland Hospital Breast Care and The Cancer & Hematology Center.
A month after her diagnosis, her mother - then 65 - was also diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. “[Going through it together] helped me get through it,” she says. “I don’t know how I would have handled it if it were just her.”
Throughout treatment, Jen maintained her routine as much as possible - attending school events for her kids, working from home, and staying active. She found that chemotherapy and radiation were more manageable than she expected. “I actually felt pretty strong and healthy through most of my treatment,” she shares.
Even after treatment, challenges remained. Menopause, hormone therapy side effects, and the mental toll of survivorship were difficult. But in January, she discovered the Empower Program at Laurie Birkholz MD & Associates, which helped her reconnect with the habits, routines, and strength she had before her diagnosis. “It wasn’t about looking a certain way - I just wanted to feel strong and have energy again,” she says.
Early detection, faith, and community support are the lessons she most wants to share with others. “Please don’t put breast health off, and please listen to your intuition if something does not seem right. Early detection really does make all the difference. And don’t fight cancer alone - accept help from those who want to help you. Fighting breast cancer is just as much mental as it is physical.”
Her journey continues, but her story is a powerful reminder: trust your instincts, lean on your support system, and never lose hope.
Jen and her family