Hey guys! Marce Lamontagne here. Thank you so much for joining me in my first episode of Breast Cancer and the Unknown. In todays episode I want to tell you a little about myself and my journey that brought me to create this podcast and what I am hoping you as a listener will get out of it.

When I was first diagnosed in 2016, my brother who is a pretty well known podcaster URGED me to start a podcast. I was like, "Yeah, yeah, I'll do it", but the fear of the unknowns of starting a podcast and putting myself out there, really gave me hesitation. So months pas, then years, and I thought at some point he would stop bugging me, but he didn't! So when covid hit I thought, "Marce…if there is anytime to start a podcast now is the time. There are so many people out there struggling with not only being newly diagnosed with Breast Cancer, but going through it during Covid with all those unknowns and fears." I felt that if my story and others like mine could help even one person, I could get over my own fears of starting a podcast and just do it! I mean, starting a podcast is definitely not as scary as being diagnosed with breast cancer. So here I am, putting myself out there, I hope you enjoy it!

As I said, I was diagnosed back in 2016. I was 35 years old, a part time nurse, full time mom to a 5 year old girl (KC) and a 2 year old boy (will) and had just celebrated my 10 year anniversary with my husband when I felt a lump on my left breast. I was pretty healthy overall and had actually just finished an 8 week beachbody program. I had FINALLY lost the last 10 pounds of baby weight I had been carrying around!!! I wasn't really worried but I asked my mom who is also a nurse what her thoughts were. Since breast cancer runs in my family she recommended me setting up an apt with my PCP. Since I alllllways listen to my mom, I made an apt for the following week and had my dr do an exam. Although breast cancer runs strongly in my family, my doctor wasn't overally concerned. We decided to monito it and set up an apt for a follow up a month later. when October came around I went in for my apt and my doctor said she felt the lump was the same and still was not concerned. She did however offer a mammogram to be safe, and usually I would have been like "nah- if you are not concerned neither am I" but something in my gut urged me to go ahead and set up an apt. 2 weeks later I headed in for my mammogram- not even thinking my life could drastically change, yet I walked out a completely different person. My apt went like this- mammogram to Ultra sound which showed an enlarged lymph node, to the radiologist coming in saying they saw something worrisome and wanted to set up a biopsy. My drive home was such a blur and when I got home THANK GOD my husband Justin was there. He asked me how my apt went. I immediately started crying. I remember saying… They saw something and said it was worrisome….not suspicious….worrisome…worrisome is better than suspicious right?? He gave me a big hug…Im sure not knowing what to say, but the hug I definitely needed. I got a call the next day to set up a biopsy. 10 days later…10 days…like an eternity!! So I waited…and waited the best I could. But by day 8 I couldn't take it anymore. I called the Breast Center in Scarborough Maine and they were able to get me an apt to see the Nurse Practitioner Karen (my god I love Karen!) She pulled up the mammogram and said to me- look Marce, I can tell you without even having a biopsy that you are atleast stage 2, it has spread to your lymph nodes and we will need to do chemo. I mean if my mouth didn't hit the floor right then I would be shocked!

Fast forward through all the waiting…waiting for my biopsy results…I ended up being triple positive, waiting for second opinions, waiting for scans, genetic counseling…the works. I mean lets be honest…this part SUCKED!! Like really SUCKED. My head was spinning with questions…whats the treatment plan, has is spread, will I live to see my kids grow up? The waiting and fear of the Unknown was THE WORST!!! But slowly, the days past, my treatment plan turned into action, and I began my journey as a Survivor. It wasn't easy..we know this! But atleast I was actively killing the cancer and that gave me a feeling of power and control. My treatment plan went a little something like this….4 rounds of Adrimycin and cytoxin, followed by 12 rounds of taxol and Herceptin and perjeta, Left breast mastectomy with full axillary dissection, 33 rounds of radiation and then a prophilatctic right breast mastectomy with immediate reconstruction using the DIEP flap method. I also was able to have whats called a lymphovenous bypass, which basically means after my lymph nodes were removed Dr. Singhal at Beth Isreal went in and shot some dye into my armpit and was able to reconnect two lymphatic channels to blood vessels. This decreased my chance of having lymphedema was 33 percent down to 10 percent. Pretty cool right?!? Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding my treatment plan!!

I was also very lucky to have an amazing support system. Each week different friends and family members would come hang out with me during treatment and we would have a blast. They would make fun of me after I got the benedryl and started saying random and sometimes incoherrant things. My BFF Colleen who came to almost all my treatments (I love you girl!!) would write up a post to put on my caring bridge page- and let me tell you, going back and reading these is pretty hilarious! I definitely recommend setting one up so that family and friends can read updates and you don't get like 100 text messages a day asking how you are doing, where you are in treatment etc. Although I was so lucky to have such a kick ass support system, I was still a 35 year old women, newly diagnosed with cancer, knowing NO ONE my age who had been through an experience like this. I felt so alone. That's when my oncologist recommended a young womens support group called tits and tacos…best name ever right! We would meet at a Mexican restaurant once a month and talk about our journeys and let me tell you, that group helped me stay positive during my treatment. I love online support groups and am part of many of them, but meeting these women in person and being able to see that my fears and anxieties were not crazy and also to see how they were thriving after a cancer diagnosis and not allowing it to take over their entire life, gave me hope that someday I would be where they were…not just surviving but thriving!! You will hear some of these ladies stories in future episodes!! Unfortunately that group fell by the wayside shortly after I finished treatment. But I never forgot what that group meant to me, so when a couple of my girlfriends were diagnosed two days apart and my sister in law asked if I would chat with her firend from HS show was recently diagnosed…I said to myself…Marce…its time to get that support group up and running. I created a private facebook group, made up some cards for my oncology office to hand out and that's how Tatas and Tapas was born! Anyone listening is welcome to check us out to see if we could be of any help to you throughout your journey!! We do have meetups, but also have women who live out of state and just check in with questions about treatment, side effects etc.

Here I am, almost three years cancer free and felt like it was time to take a leap of faith and create this podcast. I may have had a little push….or shove from my brother who is a pretty well known podcaster himself. But he helped me realize that my story and others like mine can help so many women and men who are just beginning their journey. You are not alone. We are stronger than we give ourselves credit for and we are stronger together!!

I hope you will benefit from listening to other survivor stories and consider sharing your own. There are also many resources out there that focus on supporting survivors through their journey and I will be sharing that information as well. If you would like to share your journey or any resources that have been helpful to you, feel free to contact me at breastcancerandtheunknown@gmail.com.