10/29/2024
Announcing the return of the
Celebration of Life Photoshoot in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month
This year, I’m honored to feature Ms. Tartesa Preston and have her share her story with you. In this portrait session, she’s accompanied by the love of her life; Mr. Willie James Dickens
This is her story:
The day you wake up and realized all that you may have seen on television, is about to become your reality.
I was diagnosed in 2021 with stage 3 grade 4 triple negative breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma. I was 45 yrs old when I found something in my breast that did not feel normal. And what most do not know, is that 10 yrs prior to the day, I was diagnosed with Cervical cancer, and won that too.
It became real, when I realized, the lump was not going away. I was a busy workaholic, and like most that are, put their health behind them to pursue massive careers. With being a medical profession, you feel as if you are not aware enough of what is going especially and until it happens to you. I figured it may have been the way I slept or moved, that when I go into see the doctor, that it would be a simple draining or removal and I would be on my way. By the time I had made it to my appointment with the Doctor, the lump in my breast had rapidly grown to the size of my hand in just a couple of months. I had no idea that I was about to be told that I am going to endure the worst but best fight of my life.
Because the mass had grown so fast, what was to happen next would need to happen now. The type of cancer that I had was genetic, meaning I received the gene from my mother. I did not even know that was a thing. The family history that I have now started to research is now starting to make sense. At the time of me being diagnosed, my mother had been fighting breast cancer for 10yrs of the same exact diagnosis, same breast and same dimension. Our cases we so exact, that our doctors compared our studies and the fact that my grandmother passed of the same. During my fight, I lost my biggest supporter, my mother, to the same fight of which I was fighting. But know matter how she felt, she still made sure to check on me, to make sure I was ok, and to try until she could not try anymore to be at every doctor visit, she could. I would always tell her not to worry, but as a mother, I knew there was no stopping her.
When I shared with the family my diagnosis, there were tears and some heart ache. But even when I sat down with my oncologist, I just knew in my soul that I am going to win. I do not even think I cried. The strength and courage of myself, I know came from the love and support of all those around me. I know I could not have done it without them. The fear in my children gave me the courage to show them how strong a women/mother/person could be. The loss of my mother gave me courage to win this battle. The many worries of my family gave me courage to show them, there is victory at the end. The concerns of friends and colleagues gave me courage to show them, I will stand to tell my story.
After speaking with my Oncologist, Breast surgeon and plastic surgeon. With now knowing, for the next year, I would have had many chemo treatments including immunotherapy, 5 surgeries including a double mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. I knew my life was going to change. With hair lose due to chemo, breast removed due to the disease that was there, making it through each chemo session as if my life depended on it, as it did. But through it all I never lost faith down my road to survival. I was determined not to surrender to this disease, but to beat it. The one thing I would repeatedly recite to my self was “I will survive, never surrender because I have things to do, and one is not to hang around with you Cancer”.
I am now two years in remission, because I WON MY FIGHT, my mother is smiling proud, family and friend are joyous. Because no matter how many times I tell this story, it still gives encouragement to those who need it.
