For most people, cancer is an obstacle in a long and winding course. For me, it was more like a pile-up on the interstate. I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in late January of 2020, following my sister’s diagnosis several weeks earlier.

My diagnosis was further complicated a week later when I confirmed my pregnancy. Talk about getting the best and worst news of your life in the same week! I was floored, overwhelmed, and scared out of my mind. I had tried so hard to have a baby, and would my HR+ cancer diagnosis change it?

Luckily, I was told that I could have my cancer and my baby too, which was a
huge relief. I worked with doctors down at the University of Iowa Hospital
who took great care of me and my impending baby. At 11 weeks I had a
bilateral mastectomy, at 15 weeks I started 2 chemo drugs that were
safe in pregnancy (I didn’t know you could do chemo while you were pregnant,
​talk about a surprise!)

After 4 chemo treatments every other week for 8 weeks I had been treated as
much as was safe in my pregnancy. I got to take a treatment hiatus until
November, about 6 weeks after my baby’s arrival. On October 1 I delivered the
most perfect 6-pound 1 ounce baby girl, named Joy to celebrate the beauty in a
really tough year. 6 weeks after Joy was born, I went back into chemo for
another 8 weeks for the last drug I couldn’t have in pregnancy.

Six weeks later I was transferred to the MercyOne Cancer Center for 25 radiation treatments, which concluded in March. I am currently cancer free and loving my life as a wife, teacher, and new mom. 

While cancer isn’t the path, I would have chosen for myself, I am so thankful for the journey. I have learned so much about my own strength and have seen for myself the amazing village of people who have held me up during one of the hardest times of my life. I had a year where my life felt like an interstate pile up, but I feel like it is clear roads from here on out.

by Regena Huffman, Survivor

I was diagnosed with stage 2 IBC (inflammatory breast cancer) back in December of 2015. After chemo, surgery, and radiation, I was 6 months away from my 5-year milestone when I discovered the cancer had metastasized to my bone in 3 places. I am currently on oral chemo and appear to be responding favorably.

The newest cancer was discovered during an MRI that I had to advocate strongly to have... I would like to share with survivors the importance of being your own advocate and asking what tests are available to you for early diagnosis!

Here is my story - When I went in for my regular annual checkup at the breast surgeon's office last May, I shared how someone I knew had a recurrence of cancer on the side they had already had a mastectomy on. I asked how we would know if that was my situation or not given that I still got an annual mammogram, but I could only have one side of my body checked. How would we know if all was good on the reconstructed side? My doctor said that for those of us who have only one breast removed during treatment, the medical field is starting to see the value in doing an annual mammogram, but then following it up with an MRI 6 months later so they can identify anything that might be occurring on the reconstructed side. He told me that most insurance companies fight doing this because of the cost of the MRI, and I asked him to submit a request to move forward with the MRI. He said it might take a time or two to get approval, but I told him to keep requesting until we were approved, which he did.

When I went to his office to review the results of the MRI, his exact words to me were "Your case is exactly the reason why I think it is so important for us to do these MRI's for survivors... we had something show up in your results that we need to investigate further.”

A PET scan was then ordered, and that scan showed that I now had cancer in my bones in 3 areas of my body, 2 cervical joints in my neck, one rib, and a spot on my pelvis. If I had not insisted on that MRI, I might not know about the recurrence yet! I am a firm believer that we need to not be afraid of what the doctors or insurance companies might think of us, we are fighting for our lives here!!! I am now on oral chemotherapy and had 5 radiation treatments to my neck back in July. My most recent PET scan (which my oncologist had to submit for three months in a row before we got approval!) showed that the affected areas are responding and for that I am grateful!

Thanks so much for all the Beyond Pink TEAM does for those of us who are living with this daily, and for the time spent educating and encouraging those of us who live with breast cancer.


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