Help us raise money

My name is Jenn and I am a registered nurse, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and breast cancer warrior.  
When I was 24 years old I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer- de novo. I had just started my dream job as a labor and delivery nurse. My whole life I have loved helping people, and I was now being able to bring life and love into the world.  Not long after starting this position, I noticed a cutie clementine sized lump in my left breast. After many doctors appointments and imaging, I was initially put off given my age and that this lump was something benign. This radiologist even told me to follow up with another mammogram in 10 years. If I had just stopped there and listened to that radiologist, I would probably be dead before my 10 year check up. Luckily I didn’t accept his diagnosis, advocated for myself and went to further doctors- who did not agree with the mammogram results. Many scans and biopsies and doctors later I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer that metastasized to the lymph nodes, liver, and spine. 
Upon this diagnosis, I knew I had to take my professional background and make lemonade out of lemons. I want to spread awareness to younger adults and help them be an advocate for their own health.  If my diagnosis could help just one person then that’s all I want.
This past year has been filled with progression, difficult side effects, emotional turmoil, and too many doctors appts, emergency room visits, tests and treatments to count. I’m currently moving on to my 7th line of treatment but I live each month not knowing if a treatment will work or not.

That is why donations to MBC and research for Stage 4 is so important in finding new treatments, and hopefully a cure. I pray for a day we find a treatment that will help me and many other men and women live a long, healthy life. As of right now, statistics show that estimated expected life survival of someone with MBC is 5 years.
This diagnosis has forever changed my life but I refuse to let it TAKE my life.  I am a young woman who loves reading, painting, hiking, traveling, and LIVING. I am not ready to give any of that up.

I love being an advocate for MBC and METAvivor. I am very passionate of raising awareness of this disease, researching, and hoping for a day that this disease is something you can have a long normal life with.
If you’re interested on learning more or want to follow my journey, follow me on instagram @journeyofjenn