A Life Transformed by a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Balancing Creative Practice with a Complex Medical Regimen

Medical Menopause A: Anastrozole (2024) 8.5 x 7.5 in. Mixed media on paper.

In 2023, my life shifted dramatically after being diagnosed with breast cancer. I went from taking no medication to managing six prescriptions by 2025, including medications that induced medical menopause. These treatments became necessary to support life-saving hormone suppression, ease sleep disturbances, and manage depression. Thanks to Medicaid, I’ve been able to afford these essential medications. Without it, the cost of simply surviving would have been impossible—especially as I missed countless workdays while adjusting to a new way of living in a surgically altered body.