Bobbie Niehaus
My Story. My Life. My Passion For Pink.
Being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31 was devastating. I never imagined or thought I would ever have to worry about having breast cancer affecting me. I had no family history nor was I educated about breast cancer. I always thought it was hereditary through genetics. But when I received the phone call the morning of 12/12/12 and hearing the words, “you have cancer” turned my world upside down. I remember tears rolling down my face, and really couldn’t hear anything else that was being said on the other side of the phone. With my husband beside me holding me, and my German Shepherd Zena laying her head on my lap…. I knew that I couldn’t give up hope. I had a lot of life ahead of me and I was ready to fight.
The next couple weeks were like a roller coaster. Consults with my general surgeon, plastic surgeon, an Oncologist, and lots of testing. A second biopsy determined that my cancer had spread and ruled out a lumpectomy in my left breast. Based on the type of cancer and how aggressive it was, and my age; I made an educated decision to have a bilateral mastectomy, even with the cancer only in my left breast. This was devastating to know I was going to lose my breast at the age of 31. I was scheduled for my bilateral mastectomy on December 28, 2012.
After surgery, I stayed overnight at the hospital while they managed my pain and discomfort. I was discharged the following day, and sent home. I can’t explain the pain and discomfort. I was bandaged and wrapped and had a drain on each side. Now it was time to rest, let the healing begin, and learn what my new normal is. I slept in a recliner for a couple of weeks with several pillows. Learning how to let others help me bathe, and dress me was hard. It took over a month to actually be able to sleep in a bed, and even then, I had roll out of the bed to get up. While I was healing was surgery, my oncologist ordered an Oncotype test that would determine if I was a candidate for chemotherapy and it would tell us my risk of reoccurrence. The Oncotype DX report includes a recurrence score result, which ranges from 0-100.