In 2021, Kelli Sosa was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. While undergoing chemotherapy and surgeries, doctors determined that Sosa had the BRCA 2 gene, a hereditary gene that significantly increases a person’s risk for breast and ovarian cancers.
Upon finding out, Sosa’s two daughters got tested for the gene. One of her daughters, Ciara Rubenstein, tested positive for it as well.
“My sister and I, who are our mom’s only children, we both got tested, and I was positive,” Rubenstein said. “My family and I are very close, and during my mom’s chemos … we never let our mom go to a chemotherapy or doctor's appointment by herself. Somebody was always there — my dad, too. We’re really close, and that took a big toll on us.”
By spring 2023, Sosa had beat her ovarian cancer. However, around the same time, Rubenstein had discovered a lump in her breast.
“I knew that I needed to take the necessary steps and keep up with my checkups and get checked,” Rubenstein said. “So, my mom was doing good, and in April 2023, I found the lump in my right breast, and to be honest, I didn’t really think anything of it. … I thought it was just a cyst.”
Rubenstein went to her OBGYN, who also thought the lump was a cyst, but wanted her to get a mammogram to be sure. Even though she knew there was a possibility of cancer, Rubenstein says she kept putting off having the mammogram done.
“I waited a couple of months because life was busy, and I was like, ‘Oh, you know, [the doctor] thought it was a cyst, I think it’s a cyst, it’ll probably be fine,” Rubenstein said. “Then, one of our neighbors got diagnosed with breast cancer, and she’s two years older than me, so I was like, ‘No, I need to get it done.’ So, the day before my 35th birthday, I went in and got a mammogram, and they said they think they see something and would like to do an ultrasound.”
The doctor told Rubenstein that she had a spot that looked like cancer and needed to have a biopsy done as soon as possible. Then, on her 35th birthday, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“At first, I was in shock,” Sosa said. “I felt responsible. But then I realized I needed to step up and be strong. I told her that everyone experiences cancer differently and I would be there for her. I wanted to help her know what to expect.”
Rubenstein says that her family rallied around her during her fight just as they had for her mom. She continued to work full-time as a nurse practitioner while undergoing her treatments.
“I kind of was just in fight or flight mode,” Rubenstein said. “I don’t think it ever really hit me. I had 16 rounds of chemotherapy in the fall of 2023, and my family of eight, my husband, my two children, my mom and dad, my brother-in-law and sister, were always there for me.”
Rubenstein says her mom was able to help her know what to expect during her treatments. Even though the mother-daughter duo had two different types of cancers, the chemotherapy treatments were similar. Her mom was also able to help take care of Rubenstein’s two daughters and give her advice, such as encouraging her to stay active and eat healthy — and to also listen to her body and rest when needed.
Rubenstein, who is now cancer-free, encourages anyone who has recently gotten a cancer diagnosis to stay off of the internet and avoid looking up symptoms and statistics.
“Google is not a doctor,” Rubenstein said. “My doctors were great. The doctor I had at Texas Oncology, Dr. Kaczynski, is phenomenal.”