Carletta’s Story

Carletta: Motivated by Breast Cancer

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Carletta was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41. Now cancer-free, she is motivated by her ability to do the things that she couldn’t do during treatment. She finished her first triathlon one year after her first round of chemotherapy.

Carletta was 41 years old and in the middle of training for a triathlon when she received her breast cancer diagnosis. During each round of Carletta found support in her friends and family. She posted photos of herself on social media to keep them updated on her journey, wearing a unique T-shirt for every round of treatment. Each T-shirt had a quote that served as her mantra for that week—some were funny, some were spiritual.

Carletta is not the first person in her family to be diagnosed with cancer. Her maternal grandmother died from breast cancer at age 44, and her father and paternal grandfather both had colon cancer. Several other relatives also passed away from cancer-related illnesses.

After finishing her breast cancer treatment, Carletta talked to her doctor and decided to get genetic testing to find out if she had a BRCA gene mutation. She felt strongly about getting genetic testing because of her personal and family history of cancer. If she did have a she wanted to be able to tell her family that they might be at higher risk. But the test came back negative for any BRCA gene mutation.

Carletta “brought her brave” during her breast cancer treatment, and has been cancer-free since her treatment ended in 2011. As for her T-shirts, Carletta had them sewn into a quilt to commemorate her breast cancer journey. She believes in the importance of being aware of your breast cancer risk and being your own best advocate. One year and one day after her first chemotherapy treatment, she reached the goal she had been striving for when was diagnosed—completing her first triathlon.

Carletta, who lives in Georgia, loves to stay active. In addition to having competed in several triathlons, she is an avid tennis player.

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Carletta has lost several family members to cancer. And she knew that put her at higher risk. Knowing her risk helped Carletta catch her breast cancer early. Her story: http://1.usa.gov/1UpDYSe #BringYourBrave