COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Roughly one in eight women develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, one survivor spoke out about her journey at Baylor Scott & White.
“2020 is when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, just from a routine mammogram and from there, it happened really fast. Surgery, infusion, chemotherapy and just more surgery, when I found out I was genetically predisposed,” described CJ Alvarado, who is also a supply chain manager at Baylor Scott & White in College Station.
Her journey to recovery was not easy, but the resources provided by Baylor Scott & White allowed Alvarado to rest at home after her treatments.
“Mentally, I was so drained," explained Alvarado. "Just the infusion and being in and out of it, but just having my care right here helped out a lot in my recovery.”
While working in healthcare herself, she knew the importance of routine check-ups.
“I had no symptoms, nothing that lead to the idea of me possibly having it, and the preventative care of my routine mammogram was what helped find it and find it early, so I could get it treated,” Alvarado said.
She emphasized how the cost of waiting to discover health issues, is greater than the cost to receive the essential routine preventative care early on, and hopes other women take her word for it.
“Don’t put it off for sure, because catching it early makes your treatment so much better. It helps with your options, you have more options to get it treated get it taken care of,” explained Alvarado.
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