Tramaine Wisdom’s Journey

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 35, but my story really started a few years earlier. Because my mom and aunt both have the BRCA2 gene mutation, I began getting mammograms at 32. Genetic testing wasn’t covered by my insurance at the time, so I chose to stay proactive the best way I could.

When I got the diagnosis, I didn’t fall into a deep sadness like I expected. Instead, I felt… detached. Like I was watching someone else’s story play out. I coped in the way that felt natural to me; I made jokes. I remember saying something like, “well, at least maybe I’ll get bigger boobs out of this,” which probably caught people off guard, but humor helped me process what felt impossible to process.

At my mom’s suggestion, I started recording a video journal throughout my treatment. I’m so glad I did. Because when I look back now, I mostly remember the love, the support, the encouragement… the people who showed up for me. The videos remind me that there were hard days too. I was irritable, I was exhausted, and sometimes I was just over it. But I was never alone.

I made the decision to have a double mastectomy. Going into surgery, I believed I was being proactive. I had been told I was Stage 0 but when I woke up, everything changed. They found a tumor and one positive lymph node. All of a sudden, I had Stage 2 breast cancer, and chemo was no longer optional. It was necessary.

And chemo? Chemo was, without question, the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

I worked the entire time. I didn’t know anything about FMLA back then, so instead, I adjusted my schedule around my four-hour infusions every other week. That meant longer days, pushing through fatigue, and learning just how far I could stretch myself. I remember being tired all the time, bone-deep tired, but I kept going.

Because what else do you do? You keep going. You keep going and you make it through.

It’s been 10 years. My life looks different than it did before, and in some ways, that’s a good thing. Because of the BRCA2 mutation, I still have regular follow-ups, tests, and monitoring to stay ahead of anything new. It can feel overwhelming at times, thinking about what could happen, but it also reminds me how far I’ve come.

It still feels surreal sometimes to say, “I am a breast cancer survivor.”

But I am.

And I’m stronger because of it.

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