In late March Jennifer found a lump in her right breast. Although that lump appeared to be a cyst a suspicious mass was discovered in the following mammogram. A biopsy of that area determined it was invasive ductal carcinoma. An MRI followed which found some more areas of concern and a shadowy area in the left lymph node. A subsequent ultra sound and biopsy confirmed a second mass of the same type of cancer. The remaining areas of concern would need to be biopsied in the MRI. This was a bit challenging but did confirm a 3rd mass of the same cancer. Ok, so the good-ish news at this point is that the cancer is hormone positive, protein negative.. so chemo/radiation is not automatic and it is slow growing. The stage is determined by the size of the largest mass and luckily this was caught early enough to be considered stage 1 with good odds. The only down side, the masses were spread out around the breast. After consulting with multiple professionals as well as friends and colleagues who have gone thru this exact same type of cancer Jennifer made the difficult decision for a double mastectomy with reconstruction. If you have gone thru this you understand the many layers of such a decision. A surgery on May 13 removed the sentinel lymph node and the following day she had confirmation the lymph node was cancer free! Next up is the ‘big surgery’ (mastectomy and 1st phase of reconstruction assuming all goes well with the mastectomies) on May 20. Assuming all goes as planned, she will have a fair amount of down time and limited mobility initially. The whole process will take minimum 4-6 months. Doctor says about 1 year and she will be back to where she was before the cancer. She will have out of town friends and family coming to stay with her for the first 3-4 weeks. Although she may need some additional support in these times the majority of the help she may need will be AFTER family and friends leave. Let’s come together to figure out the best way to support her in the days ahead. As a community we are strongest. She has a lot to keep track of. Messages here or through email would be appreciated, It may take her a while to respond. UPDATE: Spencer created a GoFundMe with help from his grandma, Hansine, to help with Jennifer's medical and living expenses: https://gofund.me/329cfeaf Please stay tuned for more updates.