Michelle Stravitz shares her story of survivorship after being diagnosed with Stage II triple negative breast cancer.  Her journey began with a lump being discovered a self-exam of her breasts in May 2015.  That led to a mammogram, a biopsy and her diagnosis.  Hers was a very aggressive form of breast cancer and immediately Michelle went on a very aggressive chemotherapy regimen.  She had to deal with hair loss, ‘chemo brain,’ and cancer-related fatigue, among other side effects.  Upon completion of her chemotherapy regimen, she went on radiation therapy, but has bounced back with a vigorous yoga routine and the establishment of her own fitness-driven breast cancer support group.

 

When Michelle Stravitz of Fairfax, Virginia discovered a lump on one of her breasts, she immediately sought medical attention.  Her doctor felt the affected breast said it was probably just a benign cyst and to return in six weeks.  When she returned, the lump was still there, her doctor said it had grown and called for an immediate mammogram.  That same day, she underwent the mammogram and a subsequent series of tests, which necessitated a biopsy.  In early June 2015, she was diagnosed.

 

Because of the aggressiveness of Stage II triple negative breast cancer, Michelle underwent more tests, then was immediately placed on an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, doing 20 weeks of 16 infusions.  That was followed by surgery and “a lot of radiation.”

 

Michelle said the hardest part of her chemo experience was being isolated from the friends and family that wanted to support her.  She also had the inevitable cognitive issues, commonly known as chemo brain, which resulted in her lacking her normal executive function.  Michelle also experienced temporary hair loss, and for a time had her head shaved, but when her hair came back, it was curlier than it was prior to her diagnosis.  Also a common part of the chemotherapy experience was cancer-related fatigue, but she tried to be as active as she could, going on short walks and engaging in yoga. 

 

Upon the completion of her treatment, Michelle Stravitz achieved survivorship, but it too years before she was comfortable with associating herself with the word ‘survivor.’  She has gone on to establish the support group, 2Unstoppable.org, which incorporates a fitness routine into the post-treatment lives of breast cancer survivors. 

 

Additional Resources:

 

Support Group:

 

https://www.2Unstoppable.org