In August of 2004 I was loving life. At 26, I had already accomplished so much. With a successful career as a young classical musician, I switched gears and took the fashion world by storm, running a multi-million-dollar business in Manhattan. I was dating eligible bachelors, had great breasts and long hair. With no family history of cancer, I never EVER, even for a second, thought about breast cancer. I went to the GYN for my yearly visit, and all was fine. My breast exam was normal, but six weeks later, while taking a shower, I felt a lump in my breast that certainly wasn't there the day before.

Within 10 days, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of IDC, weakly ER positve and her2 positive. Back then, that was bad news, because Herceptin was not yet available for early-stage breast cancer. Surgeons told me I should remove my breasts, as if they were insignificant in my life. I was terrified. I decided on a lumpectomy, followed by dose dense AC and Taxol.

During the course of my treatment, I researched, and realized that I was high risk for recurrence. The breasts that I had once loved, now, I felt utterly betrayed by, and I wanted them off, NOW. While I researched options for reconstruction I became discouraged, by all of the misinformation out there. I put in the leg work and found the team of surgeons that could make me whole again. I had bilateral skin sparing mastectomies with immediate DIEP reconstruction. My outcome was so positive, that I wanted to share my story with women (especially young women) everywhere, to show them that life after cancer can be whole and sexy. Cancer took enough, and I wasn't going to let it get anything else.

Over a year ago, I had the opportunity of a lifetime, to work for an organization that solely deals with breast reconstruction. It is an amazing gift that I wake up every day and get to make a difference in the lives of women with breast cancer. If it hadn't been for the YSC, I would have been lost. The girls I met here in 2004 were my backbone, and every single year we meet up at the conference and marvel over how far we've all come.

Now, at 30 years old, I have the dream job, the dream guy, long hair, and great breasts. CANCER, HA HA HA ... I win.