Brittany Broussard knows all too well the importance of getting her mammograms.
At 41, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Brittany says while following her mom's journey, she knew there was a chance she could be in those same shoes. But she still never thought that would happen to her.
"No. I didn't think that would be me and I never really got nervous when I pulled up to the appointments," she says. "I figured I would do what I have to do, they would give me my results, say false alarm, and we'd move on with life."
But, that's not what happened. At the age of 35, Brittany was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Following her diagnosis, Brittany says the appointments didn't seem to stop.
She had a lumpectomy and thought, for a moment, that they were in the home stretch. Then in 2021, more unfortunate news.
"Some more tumors were found. Ever since then it's been like it was in 2020, more surgeries and unfortunately complications from the last surgery because the radiation was done so soon and close to the surgery. That's been the journey of what seems to have been like five years, but I guess it's been less than one."
Brittany says, yes, her family and friends have been amazing through all of this, but it's her group of "Pink Sisters" that have really helped her navigate this journey.
"Once you get a hold of those good 'pink sisters' who are there to help you and have gone through this, the possibilities are endless," she says.
Even inspiring Brittany to start thinking about starting her own foundation. It would be a place that will help women when they get diagnosed to have all of the paperwork they may need at their finger tips as they start the treatment process.
"To know the next steps. This is what you expect at this appointment, this is who you need to call at this time and at this stage," Brittany says. "This is what is covered, what isn't, and this is the different insurance options.Things like that."
And while no one journey is the same, Brittany says she hopes that her story will inspire others to share their own story, passing along the knowledge they've learned along the way.
"Hopefully each person, like myself, takes their struggles and turns it into wins and passes it down to the next one," she says. "We just keep passing it around and where it becomes an easier journey. That way you can focus on your health and getting better rather than all of the side things that go into it that people don't see. People just see the cancer, bald head, the tiredness...but there is so much more."
Her journey may be far from over, but Brittany says she remains optimistic that soon she'll be someone ringing that bell and sharing her story. Not as someone battling cancer, but as a survivor.
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