The world stopped, Brown-Tatum, now 48, tells SELF.
It felt like everything was in slow motion.
I just started crying into her shoulder, Brown-Tatum says.
Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh
She would later find out the details of her diagnosis: Brown-Tatum had stage IIIAtriple negative breast cancer.
Finding out you have breast cancer can cause a flood of emotions.
The complexities of a triple negative breast cancer diagnosis can add even more confusion and fear to the mix.
Triple negative breast cancer is a rarer andespecially aggressive formof the disease.
Before treatment, though, comes diagnosis.
(You canread all about that process here.)
A pathologist will look at the tissue sample under a microscope to confirm whether its cancerous.
(You canread more about why experts think that may be here.)
Preventive Services Task Force.
On top of that, a BRCA mutation can influence your treatment options.
It was like the rug was pulled out from under me, Smith, now 66, tells SELF.
I remember waking up the next morning and remembering, I have breast cancer.
It all came rushing back.
However, Smith, a former scientist, is a pragmatist.
So she started reading up on the disease.
I like to have all the information, even if its bad, she explains.
Smith alsofound supportfrom other people who were, unfortunately, familiar with how life can change due to cancer.
(She also underwent immunotherapy, which tries to encourage the bodys immune system to fight cancer.)
Despite the hard days, she says she felt lucky to have the support and resources available to her.
Going through this process is not easy, not just physically but emotionally, Dr. Mills says.
Connecting with others whod had similar experiences also helped Brown-Tatum throughout her diagnosis and treatment.
She especially sought out other young African American women through organizations likeSisters web connection.
Brown-Tatum had a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation.
Having a black woman that I could ask those specific questions to was important to me, Brown-Tatum says.
And she got a puppy, a poodle named Pagan.
I love himhes always so happy to see me, she says happily.
Shes making her way down a list ofbooksshes always wanted to read too.
As for Brown-Tatum, her life changes started the night she was told she had cancer.
So I went shopping at Macy’s for red high heels.
Faced with a cancer diagnosis, I was going to change my approach to life, Brown-Tatum says.
I was gonna take a few risks, and for me, red high heels were a risk.
I’m always doing something fun because I remember the days when I couldn’t get out of bed.
Youre daydreaming about what it’s like to sit on a bench in the sunshine and not be sick.
So when those days come, I maximize them completely.
