As told to Britt Julious

Before my diagnosis, life was always busy. I did ballet professionally at the Joffrey, and then I went back to school at Loyola. I was also working full time. I was in really good health, exercising a lot, and eating healthy. My breast cancer diagnosis was definitely unexpected and terrible timing, but I think these things usually are.

[After my diagnosis], I took a step back and thought, “Hey, this happened, but I’m going to get through this. And I’m going to do everything I can in my power to push through and be okay. Let’s do whatever I have to do to be healthy again. It will all be fine.”

I used ways to distract myself by setting goals: of still graduating from college, of accepting a job offer. For the first couple of months, I was able to rely on schoolwork and exams. That definitely kept me busy. And once I wasn’t in school, once I took that leave of absence from work, I got really involved in the breast cancer community and joined a bunch of different groups. I found Gilda’s Club and the Breasties. I went to events from Susan G. Komen. I reached out to people from Imerman Angels. Not only did I get a mentor angel, but I became one. I not only wanted to be a part of it because I was going through it, I wanted to help people who were going through it and having a harder time [than me].