At 40 years old, she faced a life-altering decision
Angela Hernandez had experienced her share of breast health “hiccups” since she was 27 due to a history of fibrocystic breasts, a condition that causes breast tissue to feel bumpy or “rope-like” in texture. So, despite being 40 years old—the age at which many women receive their first mammogram—she didn’t think too much of the lump she found while showering.
“I figured it was just another one of those things,” she says. Angela says her breasts “naturally felt lumpy” and “more tender,” particularly when menstruating. But this time, when she found a lump, it spurred her into action. “It was a different kind of lump. It was hard, very marble-like, not moving. Stuck,” she says. So, she called her doctor and made an appointment.
Used to receiving diagnostic ultrasounds after mammograms, she had no reason to think this situation was any different. In fact, she was on a work trip when her doctor called to schedule a biopsy as soon as she returned. “When I did the biopsy, they already had a follow-up appointment date three days later, which was interesting,” she recalls. That was when she started to feel like something might be off. Still, she remained optimistic and asked her doctor to call her with the biopsy results should she be in the clear.
That call never came.
When she told her parents—who live an hour away—they insisted on attending her next appointment. Angela assured them it was probably nothing. “Good,” she remembers her mom replying. “I want to hear the doctor say that.”
But that’s not what happened.
Her doctor explained what they had found and told her she would need to follow up with an oncologist and a team of doctors who would be reviewing her case. She did, and received her diagnosis: estrogen receptor-positive, progesterone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.
Ultimately, the biopsy was just the beginning. She started with Zoladex injections, an ovarian suppressant often used in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, as certain hormones fuel the type of cancer. “Everything moved fast from there,” she recalls.
Initially, Angela and her doctor had planned for a bilateral surgery. But because of her family history, past breast health “hiccups,” and an innate feeling that she needed to do more, she and her doctor decided on a different route.
“I just felt something in me that was like, ‘Just do both.’ So I talked to my breast surgeon,” she says. She ultimately underwent a nipple-sparing double mastectomy. “People in the past couldn’t do that,” she says, emphasizing the importance of research and how advancements in treatment gave her more options.
Angela works for Trinity Fruit, a Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) partner. She also has a longtime personal connection to one of Trinity Fruit’s growing partners, Sun Valley Farming. Long before her own diagnosis, Angela had been interested in cause marketing and saw an opportunity to bring Trinity Fruit, Sun Valley Farming, and BCRF together through the Peaches for Pink campaign.
And that’s how the partnership came together. “The two companies supporting the disease is amazing,” she says. After the Peaches for Pink campaign debuted, Angela began to feel its impact. “I’ve had so many people reach out to me,” she says. “Breast cancer awareness is 365 days a year. It is not just one month. And so, I feel like we’re bridging that gap.”
In total, Angela underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and seven surgeries, the last of which was a hysterectomy. As if chemotherapy wasn’t difficult enough, an infected breast implant landed her in the emergency room and ultimately led to both implants being removed.
Though active treatment is behind her, she wishes more people understood that doctor appointments don’t stop after a clean scan. “You’re living in immense gratitude with a little bit of fear,” she admits, noting the ongoing doctor’s appointments and lingering impact of a cancer diagnosis.
“Now looking back in hindsight, in the moment, it didn’t feel hard because you’re in survival mode, fighting for your life, all while the grace of God is carrying you, and ultimately fighting with you and for you ,” she recalls.
