2025 Red, White and Blue Long Island

Hey! My name is Courtney Banks. First and foremost, i am a mom to the most PERFECT kids you will ever meet, Ethan (7) and Maisy (6). I am a wife to a fabulous husband, Brian. I am a daughter to the most AMAZING parents, Robin and Steven Nadell. I'm a sister, a granddaughter, a cousin, a niece and a friend! I'm also a survivor!  I am thriving because all these people showed up for me and now i want to stand up and help other young women going through their own breast cancer journey!

At the end of summer 2020 (great timing). I was 33 with a 2 and a 3 year old when i found a lump in my breast while taking a shower. I work at NYU and Sloan Kettering doing ultrasounds, conveniently, so the next morning I scanned myself and knew right away it was bad. There were 1-3 cm lumps all over and my lymph nodes were swollen; I was diagnosed with stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and in my mind that might as well have been a death sentence. My little babies didn't even know me and i really thought they would never get the chance. Over the next few weeks, my life was mixture of being squished, poked, prodded, going through every test in the book and finally securing my team of doctors, Dr. Seidman, Dr. Heerdt and Dr. Disa at MSK and a PLAN! FINALLY A PLAN! Any one who has gone through this knows that a plan is a sigh of relief. Up to this point, i had A LOT of anxiety and panic attacks.

I was terrified and every emotion hit at once. Every time i looked at my kids, i saw my parents and basically  whenever i was alone long enough to think about what i was going through, i cried. I honestly think I cried every tear i had in my body. I knew that chemo was going to be bad and i would lose my hair and be extremely sick but all i thought about was my family. I needed to do whatever i had to do to keep my kids strong and unaffected. I was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma of my left breast. There were multiple masses that spanned along 11 inches of breast tissue. Leaving my first meetings with Dr. Seidman and Dr. Heerdt it was as if a weight lifted off my chest and i knew instantly i was going to be okay. I went from thinking i was going to die to ready to fight this head on with all the strength i had.

I realized quickly who was there for me when it counted most, those people i am forever indebted to. I knew i didn't want to stop working, i loved my job and my friends in the hospital so much and they were there for me through the worst and celebrated with me through the best. People ask me all the time how I did it, working, chemo, kids, life. I just did. You have no choice but to get up in the morning and start your day and go! I had my family and i had my friends and the VERY LONG, VERY HARD days turned into weeks and time moved on. I'm not saying it was peaches and cream, I was and always will be in the 10% that gets the weird side effects and complications to the drugs and surgeries; but ya know what? Those things passed too.

I did 4 rounds of AC chemo  (the red devil as they call it but my nurse the 1st day insisted it's just some fruit punch and you'll be okay!), after round 2 i lost all my hair from EVERYWHERE! My eyebrows for some reason really hit me hard. I looked in the mirror and just saw a shell of me. SO i got rid of all the mirrors in my house and moved on! Haha! But really, i did. After 12 rounds of taxol with herceptin and perjeta, i celebrated being done with chemo. 

Despite the Mammogram preceding my double mastectomy looking clear from masses, there was cellular level cancer still there so i was back to chemo for 14 round of kadcyla over the next few months. I had my surgeries and complications, 25 rounds of daily radiation that tore up my whole left side, some more complications which landed me in the hospital a few times. BUT! My VERY BALD head grew hair back and as time went on, i started feeling like myself again. My messy scarred up chest finally looked like "boobs" again, thanks Dr. Disa, and i was starting to feel like a woman again; despite my kids telling me i looked like a boy with my crew cut hair! 

I don't remember a lot of the specifics events of those 2 years but i do remember sitting with Dr. Seidman and him telling me this process was all about time, that only time can heal and make this better. He couldn't have been more right. This single conversation is one i will never forget and helped me a lot over the years. 

I'm not exactly sure when the switch happened but there was a turning point for me, i went from everything being about my treatments and life to  knowing i was ready to help other people. I knew my support system could never be matched, i mean my aunt and cousin literally moved across the country to help us! I know how lucky i was and it killed me knowing other people were out there suffering through without one. Everyone needs to feel supported. Everyone needs to know that their life is worth fighting for. So here i am. 

I like to share my story as much as i can for a few reasons, 

- TALK TO PEOPLE! Unfortunately, in the world we live in right now, the statistics are that 1:8 women will get breast cancer in your life. I guarantee that if you talk to someone and tell them what youre going through, they will listen and learn something from your story. Honestly, I'm sure you'll learn something through them as well!! There are so many treatments for side effects that i never would have known about had i not opened up to people. 

- ASK FOR HELP! Don't be afraid or ashamed or feel less powerful because you can't do things on your own. "Tough as a mother" is one of the realest statements out there but mothers get sick and out of commission too!

-CHECK YA BOOOBIES! Men and women should consistently be doing self exams. You know your body better than anyone, trust your instincts. If you feel something abnormal please please do not ignore it! 

-ALWAYS FIND THE SILVER LINING! Breast cancer is the worst thing that i have ever gone through, physically and mentally and i am still sorting it out!! My silver lining from this journey is realizing how strong i am. If i can get through this, i can literally get through ANYTHING.