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Your Breast Friend Diaries

Hi I’m Erika Silva, and I am I Breast Cancer Survivor.

Date:

September 1, 2023

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5 Min

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Hi I’m Erika Silva, and I am I Breast Cancer Survivor.

I was at home one evening just chilling before bed when I decided to do a self Breast exam and felt a lump.
On January 25, 2018 I was diagnosed, stage 2 triple positive invasive carcinoma.

Treatment plan moved forward pretty fast, I survived 6 rounds of a chemo cocktail for 6 months and 12 rounds of Herceptin. We decided to skip Radiation.

I had a double mastectomy was a must however it was with a delayed reconstruction, I tested positive for a gene mutation called PALB2 in which pushed me to get a full hysterectomy as well on December 2018.

I got the reconstruction done on May 2019 and I am now in recovering from it all.

I have 5yrs of hormone therapy (prevents cancer from returning) that I’m working thru now. Recently I had a revision with fat grafting and I been healing well.

Cancer has taken a lot from me but it has also given me a sense of purpose, it has brought me amazing people into my life.

I hope my journey inspires you to never give up!

I am grateful to be alive today and to be able to enjoy life with my daughter!

September 1, 2023
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