Kate's Cancer Journey

Wow...that feels really weird to say out loud. The invincible part of me always thought, "Oh, that will never happen to me", but the realistic part of me is probably not surprised if I'm being honest. Given my family history and the fact that I've been doing high risk screening for the past 5 years, it wasn't a total shock to find out on May 6, 2026 that I have Invasive Lobular Carcinoma - a somewhat rare breast cancer (10-15% of cases.) This type of cancer is often referred to as "undetectable" or "sneaky" so I feel very fortunate that it was caught as early as it was. My current diagnosis after only a biopsy is Stage 1, Grade 1, which Stephen's AI bot assures us is a best case scenario (other than zero cancer of course! The bot also says it is praying for me, so there's that to be grateful for as well 😄.)

I was given the choice of a lumpectomy and radiation, single mastectomy, or double mastectomy. My preference would be to avoid radiation and chemo if at all possible, so no lumpectomy. And knowing that this type of cancer is often not detected on scans, a single mastectomy feels very risky as it could realistically already be in both. So double mastectomy it is! (My surgeon's sigh of relief was good confirmation that I'm making the right decision.) I am scheduled for surgery on June 22. The pathology following surgery will tell us a lot more about the extent of the disease, lymph node involvement, and any treatment plans recommended going forward.

In typical fashion for me, I have gone into "fix it" mode. I have found a really good health protocol (Square One Healing Cancer Coaching Program) and am currently spending all my time (and money!) stocking up on fresh organic fruits and vegetables, a juicing machine, water purifier, Vitamix, supplements, etc. I am also searching for an integrative oncologist who is on the same page as me when it comes to healthcare. I actually feel great and am going into surgery strong and confident. We are hopeful that the surgery will be the end of it and that this update site will be the shortest in history! But in reality, as many of you probably know, the trauma of a cancer diagnosis stays with you for a long time - even if no evidence of disease.

If you're here reading this, then I know you care for me and our family, so thank you for walking this journey with us. And if you are so inclined, I would very much appreciate prayers for the upcoming surgery, the short-term prognosis, and especially for the long-term anxiety and fear of recurrence that I know is coming.

I fully believe that my life is in God's hands and that none of this is a surprise to Him. I just pray that I will honor Him in the way I respond to this adversity and that I will continue to make the most of this life He has given me.