TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, KGUN 9 is taking the opportunity to hear from some survivors who want to share their story.
Amy Cojanis was just 42 years old when a routine mammogram in October 2016 changed her life forever. What she thought would be a standard screening led to a biopsy that came back positive for breast cancer.
"I think I so expected it. It was just, for me, it was like, 'OK. what's the next step? Where do we go from here? What do I need to do?'" Cojanis said.
Luckily, she caught it early.
In 2017, Cojanis chose to get a mastectomy to try and prevent the cancer from spreading and also save what she could.
"I wanted to feel as normal as possible afterward, so I wanted to keep my nipples if possible," Cojanis said.
In 2018, something felt wrong. She started experiencing pain in an area that had no feeling after her surgery.
"I'm having this pain and I'm like, 'No, no it's nothing.' The pain nerves grow back first, so I'll just, you know, ignore it, and then I found blood in my bra," Cojanis said.
The cancer had returned. This time, she had to have her nipples removed.
Cojanis ended up having other complications due to the diagnosis, which led to her having a total of seven surgeries in a three-year span.
Her last surgery was in 2019. In 2020, she made the decision to get 3-D nipple tattoos to finalize her "reconstruction," helping restore her confidence.
Through everything she's been through, Cojanis still doesn't like to say she's cancer-free.
"I tend to stick with NED which is No Evidence of Disease, just because the cancer-free thing for me, is like, "Oh, I celebrated that! I was wrong,'" Cojanis said.
Cojanis credits her husband, friends and dogs for being by her side during the difficult journey.
"Definitely having a positive attitude can make a huge difference in your healing, how you look at it. And how you come away from your journey," Cojanis said.
She joined the Tucson Cancer Conquerors, a nonprofit support group that empowers cancer patients and survivors. The organization has helped her discover new aspects of herself.
"I've had people believe in me in ways that I didn't believe in myself, and encourage me to really follow dreams and take advantage of opportunities, and see talents in myself I didn't even know I had; and that's all because of cancer," Cojanis said.
Now serving as vice president of the group, Cojanis takes charge of activities like workouts at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park.
"We use weights, stretch bands, we use BOSU balls," Cojanis said.
She's also involved with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, providing support to others facing similar battles.
"If I can give back in some way and help them find that support in some way, I love being part of that," Cojanis said.
Her advice to others is simple: listen to your body.
"If something isn't right, push. Don't be afraid of upsetting the norm," Cojanis said.
Cojanis says cancer has made her appreciate life a little more. The experience, while challenging, has opened doors to new connections she never expected.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
