Believe… 
In Myself
Alicia Junker
On April 18, 2025, I was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast. I was 40 years old. It was my first mammogram. I had a mastectomy in July 2025, followed by 4 rounds of chemo and another reconstruction surgery in December. I live alone, and all my family is in Oregon, but luckily, they came down to help. Plus, many friends offered to take me to appointments and bring me food during recovery.
I say I believe in myself because when I moved to California 7 years ago, I had no one. I made friends and, in turn, created a chosen family and a life for myself. I was in the middle of my master’s program at UC Riverside and working full-time at the public health department in Riverside, plus drilling every month as an Army Reservist, when I was diagnosed. I managed to navigate all of that during my cancer journey. I just graduated and will be retiring from the military in August 2026, after 23 years of service.
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