PROS Cares: Jenn’s Breast Cancer Journey
In honor of breast cancer awareness month, meet Jenn, Senior Manager of People and Culture Communications at PROS, proud mom of four, and breast cancer survivor. When she’s not chauffeuring children to baseball and ballet, she’s helping ensure our people are in the know of what’s happening across PROS and sharing our people stories with you.
To help raise awareness, Jenn shares with us her personal journey with breast cancer, the importance of early detection and how she’s turning her diagnosis into a positive to create a healthier future for her family.
First, tell us about your journey to PROS.
One of my best friends, with whom we worked together in our previous positions, referred me for a new role at PROS. She had great things to say about the culture, and I was excited about the opportunity to work together again!
I joined PROS at the height of the pandemic in 2020. I was part of our first virtual New Hire Orientation, only going into the office to pick up my laptop, and on Day 2, everyone was told to work from home indefinitely.
Outside of my interview, I hadn’t met any of my coworkers in person. I was amazed at how welcoming everyone was, especially in this new virtual space. So many members of my team went out of their way to ensure I was included, inviting me to their team meetings and setting up virtual introductions with others across the business.
It also helped I came in for a communications role – I jumped right into crisis, COVID and return to work communications, so I got to know a lot of people around the business quickly. I dove right in and haven’t looked back!
I absolutely love what I do – telling stories, connecting people, bringing the employee voice into the room, creating creative campaigns, and sharing our culture story. Being able to do this at PROS, with a culture that puts people first and welcomes creativity and innovation, is a bonus!
Tell us about your breast cancer diagnosis.
In February 2022, I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC). It came as a complete shock – I was healthy, active and under the age of 40 with no family history.
Over the previous year, I had felt a small lump in my breast – I didn’t feel it consistently, but when I did, it was very hard and felt like a tiny bb. I didn’t think too much of it, but for peace of mind, I mentioned it to my OB at my annual well woman exam. A precautionary mammogram led to an ultrasound and biopsy where they found two cancerous tumors, an MRI that found a third, and later during surgery, a fourth tumor found by my surgeon and undetected by imaging.
Things moved fast. From the day of my diagnosis to the OR, I had 35 days to learn as much as I could about my cancer, meet with doctors and select my care team, do additional imaging and testing, and make life-changing decisions. And while I navigated this news, life continued around me – work, school, the kids’ activities, all the things. It was a whirlwind. My husband and parents, family, friends and neighbors, and my HR team at PROS were an amazing support system.
After a successful surgery that resulted in a clear pathology report, I was declared NED (No Evidence of Disease) and have been NED for 1.5 years now. Given the specific make up of my tumors and stage of my cancer, radiation and chemotherapy were not needed. While I am declared NED today, this continues to be a lifelong journey. I’ve had multiple surgeries that followed, and because my cancer is hormone positive, I’m on hormone suppression therapy for 10 years to starve any remaining cancer cells to reduce my risk of recurrence.
What support has helped you through your journey?
As you can imagine, this journey has been an emotional roller coaster, impacting not only me, but everyone around me too. Being surrounded by a supportive community is so important, and I am so grateful for the strong community I have both at home and at work. Family, friends, neighbors and coworkers delivered meals and groceries, planned playdates for the kids and were always stepping in to take things off of our plate to help make life a little easier.
At home, it took a village. My husband took care of everything, and friends and neighbors stepped in to help and support. My mom took care of me post-surgeries and helped my husband with the kids at home.
At work, PROS showed up in every way imaginable, taking care of not only me, but also my family and my parents who helped us keep life as normal as possible for the kids.
Ahead of my treatment, PROS gave me time I would’ve never taken for myself to process my diagnosis. I remember our Chief People Officer telling me to go – hand off what I am doing right now, focus on me and don’t worry about anything; the team will take care of it. Everything was how are you doing and how can we help. It’s one thing to talk about PROS caring culture and in this moment experience it – this is really where PROS shines, truly putting people first and genuinely helping in every way they can.
And support went beyond my care. Kimberly with our Benefits team helped me navigate my benefits and coverage – sharing what questions to ask my doctors, breaking down medical coverage and bills, and getting important conversations in writing. Her guidance was invaluable, and she helped me feel confident in my decisions.
In many ways, the transition back to work has been the hardest. Cancer has changed me, my priorities and perspectives, and while I look ‘normal’ and healthy with no visible scars, I am still impacted by my diagnosis daily.
In the beginning, everything moves so fast. I was focused on a checklist of things to do before surgery and was so relieved when it was over because the cancer was out. As things started to slow down and I began to live in my new normal, that’s when I started to actually process what I went through and experienced, and that is hard – it’s like mourning your previous life and your body; both will never be the same. To this day, my team continues to be an incredible support system and has really leaned in to make my transition back as easy as possible.
Throughout this journey, there were moments when I felt alone because people truly didn’t understand what I was going through. I am extremely grateful to have a pink sister (breast cancer survivor) who has walked alongside me every step of my journey and continues to give me comfort and guidance. Sharing my story is also about paying it forward so I can be that same support for others.
How has your diagnosis changed you and your outlook?
A gift from this journey has been the ability to look at life through a whole new lens. I have different perspectives and priorities and a newfound appreciation for life and the little things. I’ve learned to let things go, slow down, and listen to my body. I’m more informed and thoughtful about what’s in the food I eat and the products I use to help reduce my risk of recurrence. And while I can’t control everything, I am making simple, small changes that have led to a healthier and cleaner lifestyle for me and my family.
I’ve also learned how to be comfortable being still. I learned quickly during recovery that I did not know how to rest and relax. I started reading books and psychological thrillers instantly became my favorite escape. Now my HR team exchanges books and recommendations, and it’s so fun to have this personal connection outside of our work. I love everything by Lisa Jewell!
What is one thing you want people to take away from your story?
While no two journeys are the same, I share my story to spread awareness and the importance of early detection, and to pay it forward to support others through their own journey the way others have graciously supported me.
Through my diagnosis, I’ve met so many (too many) young women and mothers who were diagnosed with breast cancer in their thirties with no family history. Breast cancer in young women is more common than many realize, and it’s so important to know that it is very real, and we are all at risk – regardless of age or family history.
If there’s one thing to take away, be your own health advocate – trust your instincts and don’t feel guilty about standing up for yourself (I can say this now, but it was hard during the process!). You know your body best and what’s best for you. Do monthly self-breast exams, and if something feels off, speak up and ask about it – if for anything, peace of mind. Early detection can make a significant difference in the outcome. Had I waited until I turned 40 for my first mammogram, my story would have been very different.
What breast cancer resources or organizations have you found helpful and would recommend?
There is so much information to take in and life-changing decisions you must make in a short period of time. Breastcancer.org and the National Breast Cancer Foundation are both great places to start and offer a wealth of information organized in a way that is easy to navigate and digest.
Connecting with other breast cancer survivors is the best relatable resource. When I shared my diagnosis, friends connected me with their friends who also had breast cancer. This opened the door to a strong community of pink sisters who were more than willing to share their stories and offer support and guidance. Learning from their personal experiences and having someone who has been down this path before is so valuable. I also found that searching for hashtags like #breastcancerunder40 on Instagram led me to find more survivors’ stories, which helped me learn from their experiences as well.
And at work, if you are going through your own journey and are uncomfortable talking to your manager, reach out to your HR Business Partner. They are a great internal resource to help you navigate next steps and connect you with support resources that your organization offers.