Breast cancer survivor says she had no symptoms of type HER 2 Breast Cancer

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and though it is coming to an end, the fight is still ongoing for those who have breast cancer.

“I didn’t have any symptoms,” said Melissa Skaggs, a breast cancer warrior.

She’s spreading awareness about the importance of getting checked for breast cancer.

She said she never experienced a symptom before her diagnosis; it was revealed at a doctor’s appointment.

“I was scared like most women, and I went in for my MRI, and it came back with an abnormality,” she said.

Skaggs said seeing those results was not expected.

“When I was diagnosed it really scared me. I’m a medical coder and I knew when I read the report, I knew it was cancerous,” she said.

She says she was diagnosed with a form of aggressive breast cancer.

“That’s when they found out it was breast cancer. It’s HER2 breast cancer,” Skaggs said.

HER 2 or human epidermal growth factor, receptor 2 is a positive result from a type of breast cancer overgrowth. According to Susan G. Komen for the cure, this type of cancer is very aggressive and can grow or divide quickly.

She said her faith in God and her family is what carries her.

“Last month I got saved. This is a new norm. I will never be the way I was before. My body will never be the same as it was before,” she said.

Skaggs said at first when she looked in the mirror, she didn’t recognize herself. Now she sees a stronger version of herself after her surgery.

“Melissa is being Melissa trying to adapt to the new Melissa. Trying to adapt to the new person she’s going to be,” she said about herself.

Skaggs added that her diagnosis is not a death sentence, it’s just a reason to live and fight harder. 

“We’re going to live our life, you know. Our life might be shortened because we do have cancer, and then we have high cancer cells in our body, so our life can be shortened but we don’t know that the only person who knows is the Lord,” she said.

Her advice to those still in the ring, battling any form of cancer, is to seek medical financial advice. She received a bill of over $300,000 after her surgery.

“Please get you an advocate. They will help you in every way to help you with those bills,” she said.