In 2023, Kaytie Costic, a vibrant mother of two, received earth-shattering news that would change her life forever. She had been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. The words hung in the air with fear and uncertainty as she took in the reality of what might lie ahead. Costic’s story, although heart-wrenching, is not unique, as many women face this disease each year. What sets Costic apart from the rest is her unwavering determination to fight the disease with courage and resilience.
Costic first felt the lump in her chest in March of 2023, only six months after giving birth to her second child, a time when she should have been reveling in the joys of motherhood. The nagging lump appeared in her breast, initially dismissed as a lingering effect of breastfeeding. Treated for mastitis, an infection common among nursing mothers, Costic hoped the discomfort would fade.
As the weeks turned into months, the lump persisted. For Costic, it was a persistent reminder that something was not right. She went to the doctor in July, and her doctor said it didn’t feel like breast cancer. She still set her up an appointment for a mammogram and an ultrasound just to be safe, a precautionary measure that would prove to be life-saving. This decision made by her doctor ultimately saved her life because on August 18, 2023, she was informed that she did, in fact, have breast cancer. That moment would forever be etched into her memory. This highlights the importance of how crucial it is to receive annual screenings, as early detection can significantly improve the chances of successful treatment and survival.
“I just think it’s really important that women are very proactive in their health. Doctors say completing monthly breast exams it’s so important, and that was how mine was caught, and so just being proactive in your health can save your life. If you feel something, you go and get it checked. Don’t just sit back on it and hope it goes away. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”
Costic’s initial reaction was fear, a natural response to such a life-altering diagnosis.
She had many thoughts running through her head at the time, but the first thing she thought about was her husband and her children, the center of her world and the driving force behind her determination to fight.
“I, of course, thought of my family, my husband, and my kids. My kids are young, so I wanted to make sure that I could do everything I could for them. I was really just unsure of what the future was gonna hold in terms of what my life would look like after being diagnosed,” a sentiment that resonates with many parents facing similar challenges.
In that moment, Costics journey transformed from a personal health battle into a fight for her future, her family, and the chance to watch her children grow.
Costic’s type of cancer was invasive ductal carcinoma stage two, meaning that it had spread beyond her initial tissue, reaching her lymph nodes, causing her to undergo chemotherapy for six months. The regimen, known as ACT (Adriamycin-Cyclophosphamide-Taxol), is a potent cocktail of three chemotherapy drugs. The first eight weeks were particularly harsh. She received the A and the C, which consisted of putting a very powerful drug in and out of the body to ensure it’s not going into the tissue. Anthracyclines kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA of cancer cells and interfering with their reproduction. This process, while necessary, exacted a heavy toll on Costic.
“I was getting chemo every two weeks, and that was probably the hardest portion of the chemotherapy journey for me because it just wipes you out. You don’t feel good. It’s like I can’t even explain. Just overall, you’re just rundown, and I think for four or five days I just after after that chemo I would just lie on the couch in bed to sleep.” Said Costic.
The harsh reality of her treatment became apparent when Costic started losing her hair on September 26, 2023, only one day after her daughter’s first birthday and her first chemotherapy session on September 12. The loss of her hair marked a painful milestone. She chose to shave her head on October 1, the start of breast cancer awareness month. This act was both a surrender to the inevitable and a defiant reclamation of her identity amidst the chaos.
The second part of the chemotherapy, involving the T (Taxol), comes in to clean up and eradicate anything that’s left from the A and C that kills the tumor. While easier on the body, it has its own risks. It can cause neuropathy, which, fortunately, Costic only experienced slight tingling sensations in her hands and feet. However, taking T for 12 weeks required her to get on a steroid, which kept her up all throughout the night after receiving the chemo that day.
Cancer is an unpredictable journey that can have many side effects from the chemotherapy, which was the most daunting aspect for Costic. “The scariest thing about chemo is like the side effects of things that can come because of it, and you know those first eight weeks I was having to get EKGs of my heart done every month because it can damage your heart, you can damage your vital organs, so you know you’re putting something in your body that’s killing. You know something bad, but it also will cost your body, so I didn’t have any of that. I feel very lucky.”
During this hard and exhausting process, she found unwavering support in her husband Jamie, who had to pick up the slack with two young children and two dogs, one being elderly, who needed a lot more attention. He kept up with the house and cooking. They were fortunate enough to have help from throughout the Latrobe community, who rallied together and did a variety of things to help them out during her journey battling cancer. People from the community brought meals, gave gift cards, and even provided a meal train put together by Costic’s good friend, Laura. This outpouring of support was a lifeline, a testament to the power of community in the face of adversity.
One of many great achievements, Costic also coaches lacrosse and field hockey for GLSH. “I mean, the support was overwhelming from lacrosse and field hockey. The girls obviously were amazing through it. We had just started field hockey season, and I had to step away to go through treatment, and they all wrote me letters and cards. I actually just pulled them out of my drawer the other night and was reading through them. They’re still in my drawer, but yeah, it was really nice to feel supported by the community while I was going through something really, really terrible.”
Finally, on January 31 of 2024, Costic completed her chemo. This was followed up with her double mastectomy on March 5. After having breast cancer, some women choose to receive breast implants, but Costic opted out because that would require another surgery and six months of waiting, but she wanted to get back to life as soon as possible. On April 29, she got her port taken out, and on May 21, she got a hysterectomy. She received this because she is on a medication called Tamoxifen that blocks her hormones for 10 years. One of the side effects of it can cause cancer, and she was not willing to trade cancer away to potentially get another cancer.
She has persevered through one of the hardest things a person can go through, but although she is cured, the trauma still lingers. “You have people that support you and everyone around you, but if someone hasn’t been through this experience, you could sit in a room with people who love you and care about you, but if they haven’t been through this experience they don’t truly know what you’ve been through or what you’re feeling.” While battling the cancer itself, she also had to deal with the emotional toll of it all. Even in remission, it can be overshadowed with anxiety and the struggle to reintegrate back into “normal life”. This is not a sign of weakness, but a natural response to something so traumatic like cancer. “I’ve had people in the past say, “Well, you’re lucky to be alive!” I am lucky to be alive, but I’m still capable of having a bad day. I’m allowed to have a bad day when I went through a really hard thing.”
In the aftermath of her treatment, a new chapter of healing begins. She is ready to take on a new journey of growth, recovery, and rediscovering herself. As she has to live with the emotional and physical scars, they are a constant reminder of how strong a women she is and the battle that she won.
