The magnificent M. and her daughter A. (5). M. is a three time cancer survivor currently living with stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer. At 24, M. was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. She had started to have reconstruction, had her expanders placed and a year from her initial diagnosis, found a lump in her lymph node that was found to be cancerous. Her lymph nodes were removed and she went through chemo for 6 months. When she was cancer free she went rock climbing and injured her breast leaving an open wound for 6 months which further delayed her reconstruction. Finally, she was able to get the breasts she has today, reconstructed. A year after that surgery, M. found out the cancer was back, this time in her chest wall. The cancer was removed and she went through four months of radiation. After radiation she told she was fine and was in remission for eight years before having her daughter. M.'s daughter was a complete surprise. After having cancer three times she was told that she would never be able to have children. However, after forgoing estrogen blocking treatment for a couple of years she found herself pregnant. Her pregnancy was wonderful. She felt amazing, wasn't sick, and was so incredibly happy. She labored for about 48 hours before they started pitocin and her daughter was born vaginally, without complication less than 12 hours later. M. says that one of her greatest concerns when she was initially diagnosed with breast cancer was that she would never be able to use her breasts to feed a child if she ever had one. While she couldn't feed her daughter directly, her sister in law who'd had a baby around the same time, generously donated enough breastmilk to feed A. for her first 3 months of life. When A. was about 3 years old, M. was diagnosed with cancer again, this time, stage four metastatic breast cancer. She says that despite her diagnosis she's a happy camper. Her daughter is amazing and she met the love her life just after her most recent diagnosis who fell in love with her at one of her most difficult times. The estrogen blocker that puts her in menopause to help prevent the spread of cancer removes her hormones and makes her feel totally imbalanced. She says, that if she could find love in that time she can get through anything. She's had a year off of treatment which has been wonderful. She has severe arthritis from the medications she's had to take to treat her cancer and has chronic pain all over, similar to fibromyalgia but says that motherhood has changed her life and made her think about others and her future. M. struggled with body image growing up after being teased for her size. Even though she was never big, she also was always bigger and didn't fit in with the other girls. Her battle with cancer has changed her body image for the better. After loosing her breasts and her hair she realized that she didn't need those things to be M., to be a person, to be accepted and loved.
