“You guys really do not know how invaluable the SWIM program is for patients and their caregivers. Being able to focus on just getting better without a financial burden was a true gift.”
I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer in June of 2023 at 32 years old. Prior to being diagnosed, I was a primarily healthy young woman with a few autoimmune issues here and there, but had no family history of any cancer so it truly was not on my radar. My husband and I married in 2019 right before the pandemic hit and after 22 years in his field of work, he was laid off. For 14 months we worked together to find him a job that fit his skill set while I worked two jobs to support us. It was definitely stressful but we made it work. In May of 2023 he accepted an offer with a start date of July 2023 and we were on our way to getting our life back on track – family planning, saving for a house, all the things newly married couples do. So, when I found my lump during a self-exam in the shower in mid-June, the last thing I thought of was it being cancer. Looking back, I’m so happy I knew enough to call my primary care physician immediately.
After a week of diagnostic tests, I got the diagnosis while in flight to a work meeting – invasive ductal carcinoma that spread to my lymph nodes. Neither he nor I knew how to navigate what would become our new normal, and he considered pushing back his start date to be able to take care of me. While not ideal, it was definitely a strong consideration. However after talking with our nurse navigator and oncology team they informed us of several programs, including the SWIM patient assistance program to help off-set daily living expenditures while patients and their care givers could focus on treatment, care, and sadly the unanticipated medical bills. This allowed for more peace of mind and my husband started his job as anticipated. I also continued to work both my jobs, as my companies were incredibly understanding, and it kept my mind off the treatment while continuing to bring in income we needed now more than ever.
While I did continue working, things definitely got a bit tight during that year of treatment. The assistance we received from SWIM was a tremendous blessing! I truly don’t know what we would have done without it. It also helped alleviate pressure for my husband, as we had already dipped into our savings a bit during his unemployment and did not want to drain everything just to keep the lights on in our home, or ever feel like we had to choose between an impact to our credit over a recommended course of care.
I don’t think I would have been able to remain as positive and optimistic about my prognosis during the course of treatment without programs like SWIM. I’ve already recommended it to several women just starting their journey who I’ve met in group therapy, while receiving chemo and immunotherapy, and during Physical Therapy. You guys really do not know how invaluable the SWIM program is for patients and their caregivers. Being able to focus on just getting better without a financial burden was a true gift.
Thank you for all you do. I continue to donate to SWIM to help pay it forward to others like me, and one day, when I’m strong enough, I hope to even participate in the swim marathon event.