My name is Catrina Crutcher. I'm 38 years of age from Dallas, TX, but born/raised in Alabama. I'm a Breast Cancer Thriver sharing my story as an advocate for women recently diagnosed, currently in their journey, or needing guidance after their journey.
I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer on June 15, 2021. I also hold the BRCA1 Positive Gene Mutation. My diagnosis came as a shock to me as I had not known my family history. You would think it would be a shock based on health or other factors, but it was based on a conversation that was never held with my family.
After my diagnosis, I started Chemotherapy two weeks later on July 1, 2021. My treatment plan consisted of 16 rounds of Chemotherapy. I first endured four rounds of Adriamycin (known as Red Devil) and twelve rounds of Taxol. These drugs were very hard to withhold, but they did give me the result of all cancer thrivers wishes. I hold a 100% Complete Pathological response to my treatment plan as of January 31, 2022. Even with the result, I still faced challenges of having good days and bad days. My body couldn’t withstand food, proper rest, comfort, but with the amazing support system, medical oncology team, and my faith it didn't stop me from pushing myself to the end goal of to survive.
Cancer can be a hard pill to digest. Trust me when I heard I had cancer, I knew I was dying. However, knowing what I know now, cancer is not a death sentence, it's a wakeup call in many factors from health, conversations, to family history. I encourage women and men to have those conversations and listen to your body.
I love to encourage those in the breast cancer journey to know that it's work. You must do your part by taking the extra measured steps to ensure you are successful. I believe I went above and beyond by finding a support system of my family, friends, and new people in my life. I took the steps to research, change abnormal habits, and communicate with the oncology team. I was being an advocate for me! However, through my journey it was my faith that remained strong!
I hope my story encourages someone to be a fighter. What does that mean? It means to have courage and determination to do whatever it takes to live the life meant for you by you!
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