By Barbara McMurray, Special to the Independent
A year ago, Leslie Bruce, 38, a mother of two young children with a healthy lifestyle and no genetic markers, was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. She showed up to her fight against cancer with the same plucky attitude that led her to write a New York Times bestselling parenting book and helped her gain 56,000 followers on Instagram.
“I never imagined being faced with a cancer diagnosis,” she said. “But there I was in a doctor’s office on my daughter’s sixth birthday, staring at a piece of paper that read ‘invasive ductal carcinoma.’ It was aggressive and developed fast. I had a breast exam four months earlier and nothing was abnormal, but if I had been disciplined about self-exams, I may have caught it sooner. I may have had an easier road to recovery and a lesser chance for possible recurrence.”
With her husband, family, and band of friends as her support team, Bruce underwent surgery in 2020, followed by radiation, eight rounds of chemotherapy and “cold capping” therapy to keep her hair. Throughout, she maintained her wry sense of humor.
Her advice to other women: “Please, please, do a self-exam! Like, today. Right now. It is crucial to be diligent about regular self-exams and doctor’s appointments. Cancer doesn’t care how busy you are.”
Bruce’s oncologist, Dr. Wade Smith, specializes in breast cancer at City of Hope Newport Beach Fashion Island. He commented, “For many women, breast cancer is detected without the appearance of symptoms. Finding the disease early is one of the most important factors in successful treatment, so don’t let fear of an uncertain diagnosis cause you to avoid seeking care in a timely manner. There are breast cancer experts here in Orange County who understand your needs and will walk with you. The time is now to talk to your doctor about breast cancer, understand your risk factors and screening recommendations, and be proactive about prevention and early detection.”
Each year, roughly 13,000 women under 40 in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer. In Orange County, one in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
The median age of diagnosis of breast cancer for women in the U.S. is 63, according to the National Cancer Institute. Therefore, younger women are often not considered candidates for mammograms.
As soon as she felt a lump, Bruce made an appointment with her OB/GYN. It was thought to be a cyst at first, but she and her doctor agreed that a mammogram was a good idea.
“I can’t tell you how thankful I am that she made that referral,” noted Bruce. “I’ve heard too many times about a lump that went unexamined because a young woman wasn’t referred to a mammogram.”
At one year since her initial diagnosis, her recovery is a work in progress. Bruce said she feels more like herself again every day, but the reality of her health situation “can feel like a gut punch. Having small children can make a diagnosis harder, but also easier. On one hand, my chances of being able to see my kids graduate high school aren’t as good as most parents my age, which is tough to face. Yet, I have so much to fight for and so much to do that I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself.”
She’s had low moments along the way, but she said once she was done with lamenting “Why me?” she started saying, “Well, why not me?”
“My life isn’t any more or less valuable than the next person and I recognized that I was strong enough to get through it. I have the support, the access to medical care and the fight within me to get me across the finish line. And I have.”
She continues to use her social media platform, @leslieannebruce, to educate, inform, and entertain women as they navigate motherhood. “I wanted to create a platform to voice all of this so that other women wouldn’t have to feel alone,” she said. “And for better or for worse, cancer has become a part of my journey.”
