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Angie

Angie has been married for 21 years to her husband Scott – who is also a cancer survivor – and together they have two children, Jackson and Kenzie. She works for her sister Jenny at Jenny Can Cleaning Company in Jackson Township, and enjoys it very much!  She also loves being around her friends and family, the true people that know and love her.
 
In November 2020, with the world adjusting to COVID-19, Angie’s world was about to change. Her mammogram was delayed because of COVID, and when she finally got it the ultrasound showed a tree branch of growth in her left breast. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 invasive lobular breast cancer, and it had spread to a few lymph nodes. She began chemo in January of 2021, had a double mastectomy in May 2021, and then radiation to finish off the summer.
 
Angie was advised to wait for reconstruction because of radiation, and initially she didn’t mind that she hadn’t had reconstruction surgery. However, as time went by and her body and soul healed, she felt she was missing something. She didn’t look like herself, and didn’t feel like her old self. That’s when she moved forward with the DIEP procedure, performed by Dr. Lewis Diulus. She now feels fabulous!
 
“I am biased, but Dr. Diulus is a perfectionist. He is honest, and I truly love that, but I also feel he wants the best for me, and wasn’t happy until I was happy. He also has the best staff! I come in to the office and I am excited to see everyone – I love coming to that office. Everyone cares and it is so apparent, and makes me feel good!”
 
Angie would advise other women facing a cancer diagnosis or prophylactic mastectomy that “you have one choice at this point. Stay positive and move forward. Even if you have to fake it. Some days you just have to fake it to make it. That is the path I chose and I will say my positive outlook on it probably helped save me. It is hard to lose a part of your body. It is hard on the heart and the mind. Take the opportunity to mourn your loss, but quickly celebrate that you are here to celebrate a new start. I am walking the Pink Runway to celebrate that new start and new outlook on life, and I am embracing every bit of it!