Brandy Villere’s life was on track. A former high school and collegiate basketball player, she entered her 30s having just met Michael, her new boyfriend, and established a rewarding career with an educational software company. And then she discovered a lump in her right breast.
At first, Brandy tried to convince herself that it was nothing more than a strained muscle. But when the strain didn’t subside, Brandy decided to undergo an initial round of tests under the supervision of her primary care physician in January 2015. She would learn that this was no minor injury, nor a benign cyst as she hoped. Test results ultimately revealed that she had invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, the most common form of breast cancer.
Brandy’s physician referred her to Texas Oncology—Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, where she came under the care of medical oncologist Dr. Cindy Osborne. Because of Brandy’s relatively young age (33), Dr. Osborne and her colleagues decided on a regimen of chemotherapy, followed by surgery and radiation.
While she was more than ready to take up the fight against cancer, Brandy’s acceptance of this plan was contingent upon one thing. She insisted on having a dozen of her eggs harvested first. Brandy was not going to let the disease stop her from becoming a mother.
“Patients should be encouraged to discuss their fertility desires,” Dr. Osborne explains. “In many cases, though not all, egg harvest can be accomplished expediently with minimal impact on breast cancer or treatment.”
In the months that followed, Brandy continued to work full-time while enduring six rounds of chemotherapy. Her mother and Michael remained steadfastly by her side. “Thanks to them,” she admits, “I realized that I have an inner strength that I never knew I had.”
By July 2015, Brandy underwent a double mastectomy, followed by 33 rounds of radiation and several weeks of infusion therapy with Herceptin, a drug that helps slow or stop the growth of breast cancer for both early and late-stage breast cancer patients. For Brandy, her recovery officially began almost a year later, in February 2016. Vital to the process was a proposal from Michael. By May, they were married.
By late 2016, following her recovery, Brandy and Michael decided to start a family. Unfortunately, Brandy was unable to initially conceive, so she and Michael turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF), using some of the eggs she had preserved before beginning her treatment.
After several early failures, Brandy became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy daughter, Brielle Elizabeth, in May 2018. She and Michael are planning to have another baby soon.
Brandy admits that by nature she is a private person. But Brandy is motivated more than ever to tell her story and encourage young women of childbearing age confronting diagnoses similar to hers.
“If I can get just one young woman to ask the right questions about her treatment and fertility options, my speaking out publicly will have been worth it,” she says.