No Wasted Moments: Lakia’s Breast Cancer Story

Lakia Belcher felt a lump in her breast and asked her husband to check it. When she sought answers from health care professionals, a radiologist dismissed the lump as scar tissue from an earlier breast reduction.

Three months later, the lump had gotten larger. She had another mammogram and ultrasound with the same radiologist. He again told her it was scar tissue and scoffed that she was wasting her time.

Because the radiologist recommended she wait six months for another scan, her insurance denied the request for an MRI. The lump continued to grow and Lakia became increasingly frustrated and concerned. She consulted a breast surgeon a month later and shared her experience. They both agreed that six months was too long to sit in limbo, so a biopsy was scheduled. Lakia got the call about her results while coming out of a hair salon in the fall of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There’s breast cancer there,” the doctor told her. Stunned, she dropped to the curb as her doctor explained she had breast cancer at age 38. After weeks of additional scans and tests, it was determined that Lakia was ultimately diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in November 2020.

Finally, she had a diagnosis.

Cancer Running Rampant

A scope and a biopsy revealed “breast cancer was having a field day in my whole upper body and a mastectomy was out of the question because it wouldn’t solve the problem,” she said.

“I was looking forward to a mastectomy and creating new breasts from my tummy fat – that was going to be the silver lining!” she said with a laugh.

Her cancer was hungry for estrogen. The plan was to remove her estrogen-producing ovaries. Lakia was adamant about having a hysterectomy, “Let’s just knock this out. I’m done having kids,” she told her doctor. During surgery, more cancer was found outside her uterus, cervix, and ovaries – leading to a total hysterectomy.

Lakia and her husband opted not to tell their two children about her cancer right away. “I needed them to be kids. I needed them to be children. I needed them to have that ignorant bliss as long as they possibly can,” she said of her now 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. “It’s a struggle, but we’ve been able to hold it together. Because there’s no cure to get rid of all the cancer in my body, they can’t cut it out of bone, so we must flip how we deal with this.” Lakia’s children now know of her diagnosis and are becoming young agents of change, sharing their mom’s breast cancer story and being a part of her care team. 

Knowledge is Power

Lakia doesn’t have time to “waste time.” The wife and mother of two works full-time for a Delaware organization to connect under-represented minorities and girls interested in STEM careers with internships and scholarships, and assist in applying for college.

“I’m focused on elevating women of color and helping them understand the rights they have during a medical appointment and speak up like we’re going to a restaurant. We’ll complain if our food is wrong, but we won’t go to a doctor’s office and have that same passionate energy when something’s not right.

“Would you rather plan a funeral or plan to go to the doctor’s office?”

Every moment is precious now.

Lakia declares boldly, “Cancer is not all of me – it’s a piece of me. It’s my lighthouse. It guides me to decide how I spend my time, what I do with my family, and what I'm intentionally invested in.”  

Creative expression can be an outlet for anyone affected by cancer. View the gallery: Oncology on Canvas® Art Gallery.