Hi! I am Mary Staples Mills, the owner, and designer behind the mmillsdesigns name! I am 55 years old, I have been married to my best friend for 18 years as of May 2022, I have one older brother who lives overseas {no, he is not in the military}, my Dad will be turning 92 in January, and I have lived in 5 states and Australia at one time or another in my life.
I have been away from my business over the last 16 months while fighting stage 3c breast cancer. In late January 2019, I found a lump in my breast, and I was diagnosed with breast cancer soon after. If you would like to read about my journey, I have been writing a blog to share experiences with others. I do not hold anything back when sharing my journey, so from time to time, there will be graphic photos with a clear warning in the title of the blog post.
My Cancer Story Basics: After 2 years and 4 months, my cancer has returned. On February 16, 2022, I was diagnosed with the same stage 3c type of cancer I had before, but this time it is located in my neck. After many scans and a second biopsy on a rib in my back, my diagnosis was updated to Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer on March 22, 2022. I started my treatment on March 28, 2022, consisting of iBrance with 21 days on, 7 days off rotation, and Faslodex injections once a month.
My Previous Cancer: I was Dx at age 51 w/ ER/PR+, HER2-, IDC. I have had ACT, Rads, and I am on a 10 yr plan w/ HT, Anastrozole. My cancerversary is the date of Dx on February 25th, 2019. I have had a partial mastectomy, port-a-cath insertion, reconstruction w/reduction mammoplasty, insertion of breast prosthesis following reconstruction, and one last reconstruction surgery, improving an issue from previous surgery.
🎀Breast Cancer Fighter👚,💍,🐶Mom to 2 fur kids🐱,
🌴Travel Advisor👙,💎Jewelry Designer🎁,📷Photographer🖼,📚Book Lover📖
Again, thank you for being here! 💕
