Diagnosed

by Tricia Coyle (St. Louis, Missouri USA), 2018 www.tcoyleart.com

“I took this photograph the day after my double mastectomy.  We received our first snowfall of the winter, and I thought the light from the window was just beautiful.  I was determined not to feel broken, to accept this loss and move on. 

At the time of my diagnosis,  I had multiple areas on one breast Stage 0 or Stage 1 – the doctors didn’t have a definitive diagnosis. Considering I had a family history of breast cancer, fibrocystic change, and my dense breast tissue, I decided to remove both breasts without construction.  

I had Stage 0 – Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in November 2018. I had a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in August 2019. My age – 47.”