Kristen Keough-Barcelo’s Story

How has breast cancer affected your life?

Kristen Barcelo is still figuring out how to answer that question.

Breast cancer is not something she thinks about every second of every day, but it is something she is still working through. She is two years out from her diagnosis now, and one year with no evidence of disease.

“I’m just starting to feel like I’m getting my head above water a little bit,” Kristen says. 

Kristen was 32 when she was diagnosed. At the time, her daughter was almost 18 months old, and Kristen was just beginning to feel like herself again after the postpartum season.

Then everything changed.

 

How were you diagnosed?

Kristen found a lump after the shower.

She made an appointment, and at first, doctors thought it was probably nothing. But they did the tests anyway, and eventually, Kristen learned that it was breast cancer. 

Her diagnosis was stage two triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma.

Even as a healthcare provider who had worked in an ICU for almost 10 years, being on the patient side was completely different.

“You think you know things,” Kristen says. “And then when you’re on the other side, you’re faced with realizing, oh, I know nothing.” 

What did treatment look like?

Kristen’s treatment included chemotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, a double mastectomy, and reconstruction.

She started with about six months of chemotherapy. The first half was weekly and more manageable. Then her treatment shifted to a more aggressive chemotherapy every other week, which left her feeling down and out until the next round. Pasted text

At first, Kristen planned to have a lumpectomy and radiation. She went forward with the lumpectomy, but afterward, she began to regret not choosing a mastectomy. She also had a lesion on the other breast that was not cancerous, but could potentially change over time.

So Kristen went back to her surgeon and chose to have a double mastectomy.

She later completed reconstruction in December of last year. 

For Kristen, what sounded at first like a defined treatment plan became a year and a half of invasive medical procedures, ports, tissue expanders, surgeries, and recovery.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” she says.

What was it like to go through this as a young mother?

When Kristen was diagnosed, her daughter was still a toddler.

At the same time Kristen was trying to process cancer, she was also in the thick of early parenthood. Her daughter still needed what toddlers need. Life did not pause just because Kristen was in treatment.

“An 18-month-old doesn’t know,” Kristen says. “They’re still going to do what they’re going to do.”

So Kristen parented and went through treatment at the same time. That became their normal. 

Now that Kristen is on the other side, she thinks a lot about how breast cancer affected not just her, but everyone around her.

Her daughter is almost four now. She still remembers pieces of what Kristen went through. Sometimes, when she touches Kristen’s chest, she says, “Oh, your boo-boos.”

Kristen knows her daughter has absorbed more than she may fully understand yet.

“It really does affect everyone around you too,” Kristen says. 

How has breast cancer changed your perspective?

Kristen lives with a deeper understanding of how fragile time is.

She tries to make memories with her daughter every day. She tries to take a deep breath, even on the chaotic days. She tries to be grateful for the small things, even the messy ones.

“How great is it that I get to be stressed out that my house is an absolute mess?” she says.

For Kristen, even ordinary stress can feel different now. It means she is here. It means she has a family to take care of. It means life is still moving. 

 

How will you talk to your daughter about this as she gets older?

Kristen had genetic testing, and thankfully, she does not carry a known genetic risk factor.

That was a relief, but also complicated.

“It’s that double-edged sword of, okay, that’s wonderful, but what caused this?” Kristen says. 

 

Why are you walking with Runway this year?

Kristen has been attending Runway for years through her friend Crystal, but she never imagined she would one day be on the stage herself.

She had said no before.

Then one day at work, she passed Crystal and told her that if Olivia could fit her in, she would do it with her. Crystal immediately emailed Olivia.

This year, Kristen is pushing herself out of her comfort zone.

“I don’t want to have gone through this experience for nothing,” she says. “I want some good to come out of it.” 

Most of all, Kristen is thinking about the night through her daughter’s eyes.

She wants her daughter to see strength. She wants her to see community. She wants her to know they are not alone.

“I want my daughter to see that I’m strong,” Kristen says. “I’m okay. We’re getting through this.”

This October, Kristen will step onto the Runway stage with her daughter in her heart, showing her that they are strong, they are okay, and they are moving forward together.