A Fort Lauderdale nurse practitioner and clinic owner is urging women not to wait when their bodies change, even if they believe they are too young for breast cancer.
Karli Cooke, who turned 40 this year, said she noticed changes in her breast and put off seeing a doctor because she was 39 and had no known risk factors. She scheduled a mammogram in March as a birthday gift to herself. Weeks later she was told she had Stage 1 breast cancer.
Cooke has since had a double mastectomy and receives weekly chemotherapy. She said treatment has taken her hair, eyelashes and eyebrows, and she described the difficulty of looking in the mirror. She has set a personal rule for those moments: if her reflection is unkind, she steps away from it.
Her insurance does not fully cover her care, leaving her with large medical bills while she raises her children and runs her practice. She said patients facing similar costs can ask providers about payment plans.
Her story comes as South Florida prepares for the Susan G. Komen MORE THAN PINK Walk, which raises money for breast cancer research and community resources.
