Katelyn Hargrave’s story: 31 year old breast cancer survivor

Disclaimer: Know Your Lemons deeply values and respects the experiences and stories shared by breast cancer patients. The advice, statements, or facts presented in these narratives may not necessarily align with medical expertise or be universally applicable to every individual’s situation. Breast cancer is a complex and highly individualized medical condition, and while these stories offer valuable insights and emotional support, they should not substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance and decision-making regarding breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management. Know Your Lemons encourages a collaborative approach between patients, caregivers, and medical professionals to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for those affected by breast cancer.

About Katelyn

Katelyn Hargraves is a 31 year old breast cancer survivor from, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Katelyn stays very busy working three jobs! One as a Spiritual Life Coordinator at Rochester University, a coordinator of spirituality & proclamation at University Presbyterian Church, and she has her own LLC called Wholly Good where she provides spiritual direction and other spiritual formation opportunities to people as they journey in their lives of faith. Her greatest accomplishment was earning her doctorate. She started her Doctor of Ministry program just a little over two months after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and started treatment. While it was difficult, she found that having something to focus on other than her illness was extremely helpful and healing. Pursuing her DMIN during treatment led her to her dissertation topic, which focused on the importance of including our bodies in our spiritual formation and viewing our bodies as good parts of ourselves instead of something separate from ourselves or something to work against. She enjoys yoga, biking, taking her dogs on walks, singing, reading, writing, playing board games with friends, and just generally hanging out with family and friends. 

Katelyn wanted to share her breast cancer story to help inspire others to take action when it comes to their breast health. These are her words...

Her Story

Hello, my name is Katelyn. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 28. In March of 2020, right as the pandemic was hitting. I found my cancer one day when I was doing a self breast exam in the shower. I didn't have the Know Your Lemons app at that point, but I had been taught how to do a self breast exam prior. Since being taught, I tried to make that a monthly routine, if I could remember. I remembered one day and I noticed a lump. After scans and biopsies, we discovered that it was breast cancer.

As I was starting treatment, I started following a ton of different breast cancer pages on Instagram and other social sites. Know Your Lemons was one of the ones that popped up on my social media feeds and I started following them. I quickly began noticing how much of an amazing resource they were and I started to encourage my friends and family to utilize the app, and do self breast exams.

I am really grateful for the tool that Know Your Lemons is and the way that it helps people identify possible issues. I have some friends that started doing self breast exams and using Know Your Lemons. They actually went and got some things checked out at the doctor, but thankfully they have been healthy.

I think the opportunity to learn how to take care of ourselves and to encourage each other to take care of ourselves is so important. If you don't have the Know Your Lemons app yet, if you're not regularly doing self breast exams, please please start doing that.

I will be three years cancer-free in a couple of months because I caught it early by doing a self breast exam. It's important not just for women, but for everybody. So I hope that this encourages you to take your health seriously, to take care of yourself, to take the couple of minutes that it takes to actually perform a self breast exam to make sure that you are being aware of how your body changes, of how it might be healthy or not healthy, and how you can better take care of yourself. I'm grateful for the tools and resources that we have. I hope that you'll take the opportunity to utilize them, and that you take good care of yourself and each other.