'It's a different language when you're diagnosed with cancer': Breast cancer patient turned advocate encourages everyone to educate themselves

• One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society
• A Palmerton woman diagnosed with breast cancer is now a breast cancer advocate asking everyone to attend an event
• October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

PALMERTON, Pa. — Sticking to her routine mammogram was at the top of KiKi Peppard's to-do list.

"I was going for mammograms every six months, being told I had dense breasts," Peppard, of Palmerton, said.

Between routine exams, Peppard went to the emergency room for cardiac symptoms, shortness of breath and chest pain. To rule out a blood clot, Peppard was sent for a CT scan.

The results, she said, were shocking.

The doctor ruled out any clots but told Peppard she had breast cancer.

One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Of those, 10-15% are diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

However, Peppard, a mother of two and grandmother of three, said she will not let cancer stop her. She's using her diagnosis to educate others during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

She'll be at several events designed to raise awareness of the disease and to help others battle it.

The first event Peppard and her daughter plan to attend is the Pink Light Walk on Oct. 3, sponsored by the Lehighton Area Lioness Lions Club.

Even as she fights breast cancer herself, Peppard said she will have a table set up to share information about the illness with others.

"I just wholeheartedly urge people to attend. There's so much to learn and so many changes with breast cancer," she said.

'A roller coaster of a journey'

Peppard was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in April 2022.

Over the past year, she has undergone chemotherapy, which she said did not work out for her so she had to stop.

She then had a lumpectomy and learned she had a recurrence of the breast cancer and the cancer had metastasized to the skin.

She then had a mastectomy and was told that the cancer had mutated and she was then diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the breast.

"It's been quite a roller coaster of a journey," Peppard said. "It's been happening very, very rapidly, the diagnosis, the recurrence."

After the Pink Light Walk, Peppard will offer her knowledge of Qigong, ancient Chinese exercises, at a Girls Day out event at Mrs. Bush's Personal Care Home in Kunkletown on Saturday, Oct. 14.

She taught Qigong prior to her diagnosis and began practicing again after she fell ill.

"I'm going to be teaching a special segment on Qigong for breast health and this is about the energy it's based on traditional Chinese medicine and opening up the energy meridians to the breasts," she said.

A few of the other events in which she will take part include the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition's 30th Annual Conference in Harrisburg on Oct. 17, and a wellness conference on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Cancer Support Community, in Allentown.

Most of the events are open to everyone, not just cancer patients and their caregivers.

Helping others helps her cope

Peppard said participating in the events and educating others about breast cancer helps her cope with what she is experiencing personally.

"I do have pity parties. I won't lie, I have some times when I just break down and cry, but my new way around that is I buy ice cream and I keep it in my freezer so whenever I have a pity party, I have a little Dixie cup of ice cream with it and it shortens the crying time," she said.

She said support groups have greatly motivated her in her journey.

"It's a different language when you're diagnosed with cancer, no matter what type of cancer that you have," she said.

Peppard said she gets through each day by trying to stay positive and inform others about the disease and she hopes others will come out and show support throughout the month of October.