Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez to begin chemotherapy for breast cancer

A personal message from Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez:

I discovered a lump on my breast two days after my 40th birthday. 

The past three months (and change) unraveled any expectations I had for the rest of the year — and dramatically changed the trajectory of my life, as I thought it would play out.

What I’ve learned in this relatively short, seminal time of my life is to expect uncertainty. And that a breast cancer diagnosis is just the beginning. 

The weeks that followed have been a turbulent progression of promising news, as well as disappointing curveballs. 

There is a murky picture with an initial diagnosis, which can feel excruciating when desperate for some clear direction on the steps to become “cancer free.”

In my case, biopsies and lab work showed a lump and one involved lymph node. I was hopeful that I would be able to bypass chemotherapy, undergo radiation after a bilateral (double) mastectomy, and have the brunt of this behind me before Labor Day. 

But that wasn’t meant to be. 

After my mastectomy, the pathology came back with more cancerous lymph nodes than initially thought. A threshold that came with a strong recommendation to undergo another surgery to remove more lymph nodes under my right arm. 

That reality delivered a blow to me. This additional surgery would mean another five weeks of recovery before any treatment — what I equated as a setback to my optimistic cancer timeline. It also carried an increased risk of lymphedema — a potentially debilitating and lifelong side effect for breast cancer survivors. 

But that same unforgiving meeting also delivered a sliver of hope. I learned I was a candidate for a cutting-edge procedure believed to prevent lymphedema. And I was quickly connected with a plastic surgeon who specializes in the LYMPHA microsurgery, a procedure that could be performed simultaneously during my lymph node removal.  

I ultimately left that doctor’s appointment defeated. But also grateful to have a type of cancer that is heavily funded for research, allowing for advances like LYMPHA that carry the potential to soften breast cancer’s blow. 

As I underwent that second lymph node surgery and LYMPHA procedure, the next big unknown was what cancer treatment would follow. There was still a chance that I could skip chemotherapy. Of all the procedures and treatments, chemo is what scared me the most.  

That chance became a bit brighter following my Onctotype DX score — which calculates the risk my breast cancer could return. Essentially the higher the number, the more likely for a breast cancer recurrence. 

My oncologist called with great news. My Oncotype score was quite low, low enough that I might be able to bypass chemotherapy. A “might” that hinged on whether my upcoming lymph node pathology results came back normal. 

That possibility carried a great deal of hope. Selfishly, I felt that I was finally due for some good news. But each step of this ordeal has helped paint a clearer picture of the cancer inside my body. And unfortunately the latest pathology results revealed an additional lymph node with cancer. 

That reality came with a gray area. I still have a promising prognosis — but it also includes asterisks which revealed that I am not a clear-cut case that fits nicely into breast cancer treatment. Ultimately what followed was a recommendation to undergo chemotherapy treatment. 

Courtesy Vicki Gonzalez

A medical recommendation I have decided to follow. 

From the very beginning, cancer patients are in the driver seat of their own care. And each recommendation comes with its own risks and benefits — even if you choose to do nothing. I have learned time and time again that there is no simple solution. Each step is a personal decision and the key is making a choice you can be at peace with.

In the days leading up to my first chemo cycle, I’ve taken control when and where I could. Including cutting my hair and donating the locks to a nonprofit that provides human hair replacements at no cost to children and young adults facing a similar journey to my own. 

I still have a few months of treatment to go. But I’ve been constantly guided by a daily intention to savor the sprinkles of good days, and to embrace the overwhelming support from loved ones and my CapRadio extended family. Thank you for uplifting me during uncertainty.

Talk soon.