On May 4, 2010, I was diagnosed with Stage 2B breast cancer at the age of 31. I underwent a total mastectomy, axillary lymph node dissection, and reconstruction surgeries, as well as fertility treatment to have my and my husband’s embryos preserved. I also just finished chemotherapy in December 2010 and even though I recently learned that the cancer has metastasized, I am experiencing no symptoms and feel more fit than I have in years.

From the beginning, I have felt discouraged each time someone pointed out how much younger I was than other patients to be diagnosed with such a terrible disease. I had just started a new job a few months before my diagnosis, and just completed two Master’s degrees in Anthropology and Public Administration, as well as traveling/researching/volunteering in Rwanda. My husband was also just starting graduate school at Columbia University. I just felt like my life was starting to take off, only to be taken down by cancer during the most difficult year of my life.

When I reached out to Dr. Kathleen Wesa at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Bendheim Center for Integrative Medicine, she encouraged me to find ways to make myself feel better while undergoing cancer treatment. Dr. Wesa advised me on nutrition and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, as well as introduced me to Donna Wilson’s fitness classes at Integrative Medicine. Through Donna’s instruction, I feel better and stronger each day, and was able to manage fatigue, neuropathy and other chemo-related side effects and improve my general well-being. I’m proud to be a breast cancer survivor, and to Donna’s credit a member of New York City’s only dragon boat racing team!