I never thought that, at the age of 25, my strength and courage would be put to the test. On July 13th, 2010, I was diagnosed with stage IIB invasive breast cancer. Nine days later, I underwent a left breast lumpectomy and node dissection; this was then followed by fertility egg retrieval and preservation surgery, eighteen weeks of chemotherapy, eight weeks of daily radiation therapy, and one full year of monoclonal antibody treatments. Prior to my diagnosis, I had been very active. I coached soccer for 10-year-olds, played in an adult league myself, and snowboarded and golfed for fun. I loved action and had been very competitive all my life. I love being able to win, and I saw cancer in the same light. I wanted to show that cancer wouldn't take over my life.
