About The ABIII Breast Cancer Support
My Story
My journey began in November 2024. One night, I was lying in bed when I felt a sharp pain in my breast. The pain was so intense that I could not even fall asleep. I prayed and prayed, asking God to take the pain away. Finally, I said, “Lord, if You take this pain away from me, I promise I will go to the doctor.” The moment I said that, the pain lifted, and I was finally able to sleep.
The next morning, while taking a shower, I felt a large knot in my breast. It was bigger than a golf ball and located on the side of my breast. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. Later that day, I called my doctor and scheduled an appointment. After my mammogram, they quickly scheduled a biopsy. Two days later, while driving home from work, I received the call that changed my life: “You have cancer.”
Honestly, it was not a complete shock. Deep down, when I first felt the lump, something inside me already knew.
From that moment on, everything moved very quickly. I had surgery in January, then shortly afterward I began chemotherapy. After chemo, I completed radiation treatments and was later placed on hormone therapy and estrogen blockers.
In the middle of all of this, during my second chemotherapy infusion, my father passed away. As you can imagine, I was carrying an overwhelming amount of emotional pain while also fighting for my life physically.
Throughout treatment, I had doctors, nurses, support from loved ones, and many well-wishers surrounding me. But after my last radiation treatment, everything became quiet. The appointments slowed down, the check-ins stopped, and suddenly it felt like everyone had moved on because treatment was over.
But that was the moment I realized I needed support the most.
I was dealing with PTSD from cancer and treatment. I struggled with anxiety, panic attacks, fear, and so many physical and emotional changes that I did not understand. Survivorship came with its own battles, and I often felt alone trying to navigate life after treatment.
That experience became the heart behind The ABIII — Awakening Beyond Illness Into Identity. The named was inspired by my late father Andrew Baker III.
I created The ABIII to support breast cancer survivors beyond diagnosis and treatment. My mission is to help women heal emotionally, rediscover who they are, and find strength, hope, and community as they navigate life after cancer.
Because surviving treatment is not the end of the journey.
For many women, it is the beginning of learning how to live again.