My name is Catherine Birch but most people call me Cat. I decided to start this web page to update my friends and family through my breast cancer journey. I was diagnosed on July 19, 2010 and I have been fighting like hell ever since to get rid of this awful disease. Until my diagnosis nobody in my family ever had breast cancer; I am the first. I did not know a lot about the disease and feel that I now have a PhD on the subject. (An unwanted education.) I hope that despite this awful news that some good comes from my experience. I was only 31 at the time of my diagnosis and I had a 6 month old son. I hope to raise awareness concerning the importance of self-exams in young women. This disease does not discriminate and can affect women at any age. Early detection is the key to saving lives. For younger women the best way to detect breast cancer, at this time, is by self-exam, because younger breasts are usually too dense for cancer to be detected by a mammogram.

It wasn\'t until the fall of 2008, when I saw Christina Applegate on Oprah discussing why she had a double mastectomy that I realized that breast cancer can affect women at any age and at any time. After that episode I began doing my monthly exams much more diligently. After the birth of my son Liam, I began noticing changes and started doing my exams weekly. When I found a small hard pea sized lump that was not going away, I went to see my doctor. My doctor and I both assumed it was breast feeding related but he sent me to a specialist just to be sure. Thank goodness he did!! After an ultrasound, a mammogram and 2 biopsies I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I say thank goodness because my cancer was aggressive, as it usually is in younger women and had I waited any longer I could have been in an even worse situation.

On July 19, 2010, my life totally changed forever. I have been in treatment ever since. My family and friends have been amazing. Our parents and my sister have been available to babysit, make us meals, clean our house, etc. I do not know what we would have done without them. Our friends have kept us entertained, shown support, visited and even recorded an album of songs for us! They have gone above and beyond. My husband has not left my side since all this has happened. He has been there for every appointment, test, scan, treatment, surgery, etc. And despite it all he tells me every day how beautiful I am.

Despite this horrible disease, in many ways I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I have the best husband, parents, friends and work colleagues a girl could ever ask for. Thank you all for your love and support.

Love,
Cat

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