Seek The Uniq Founder Mikka Padua Opens Up About Her Battle With Breast Cancer
What do you do when doctors break the news of a life-threatening disease to you? Mikka Padua, wife, mother, and founder of popular local online shopping site Seek the Uniq says she squeezed her husband’s hand.
“Life as I knew it fell apart in one fell swoop. I didn’t cry as I heard the news, I squeezed my husband’s hand and immediately felt sorry for him and my daughter. Never mind me, I’ve lived a good life, but them, they’re all I could think of. They need me.”
Mikka recently shared this news online via Instagram and also changed her bio to include “#cancerwarrior (currently battling stage 2A breast CA)." She says she first kept the news for two months; she was diagnosed in December 2018, but soon found strength and encouragement via her new friends at St. Luke’s oncology department who openly shared their stories and journey “at my lowest point.” It quickly snapped her out of “self-pity and resentment”.
“Still reeling from the overwhelming response and support I got since my breast CA reveal. I’ve never felt so loved by many near and far, most of you I haven’t met,” Mikka shares in her most recent post a day ago.
With it she shares important facts, perhaps one of the reasons why she’s also chosen to speak out about her journey, that other women reading her posts should get checked. She says 1 in 8 women with no family history—like herself—is at risk, while 1 in 6 women with family history is at high risk.
“I’m only grateful I caught mine at an early-ish stage and my hope is to use this experience to spread awareness and maybe save lives. I’m new at this but there has got to be something good to come out of this right? I just refuse to believe that it’s all bad...,” she says.
Mikka ends her caption to encourage other women to get checked ASAP.
Our prayers and well wishes are with you and your family, Mikka! Thank you for speaking up so courageously.
Find out more about early detection here: http://www.icanservefoundation.org/#feat1
Photos from @mikkapadua