I’m Here!

My name is Marisela Fernandez Gonzalez. I am the HR/Accounting Manager at Tire Group International, LLC.

I have been with Tire Group for thirteen years and counting. I was blessed to have found this company and that Mr. Alberto Olivares hired me for my position. I am very grateful for TGI and all the support that they and my Family have given me.

I title this I’m Here because I want to share my recent story. I had been wanting to write my story for a while now and Joaquin Gonzalez has given me the opportunity to do so.

In May of 2020 I went in for my yearly scheduled mammogram and ultrasound, even though we were in a pandemic I know that I needed to keep my yearly appointment no matter what.

I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer on my left breast.

I was given the 2 options:

1. Lumpectomy, with 6 weeks of radiation and possible Chemotherapy
2. Mastectomy with reconstruction, no radiation but possible Chemotherapy

Being a Type 1 diabetic, I chose the Mastectomy with reconstruction and normally this surgery is a 2nd surgery deal 1st surgery Mastectomy with, and expander put in to expand the skin for a future surgery to remove the expander and put in the breast implant. Speaking with my surgeons we decided to take a short rout and get everything done in one surgery Mastectomy with breast implants instead of the expander to just have 1 surgery.

My 1st surgery was on June 16th, 2020, a week later I developed necrosis (death of body tissue) and on July 2nd I had my second surgery which was to remove all the dead skin and insert an expander.

It took me a long time to heal the wounds (being diabetic) I was prescribed with a Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber treatment from Monday-Friday for 10 weeks; this helps with the healing process, but also messes with your vision. This was an experience that later turned into a prescription change to renew my driver’s license. It took me from July to beginning of November for my wounds to heal.

Starting November, the surgeon started to inflate the expander every week I would go, and he would inject air into the expander.

Everything was going well until December 18th, when I got a Micro Bacteria infection. At this point, I still had a lot of faith that everything was going to be okay, but it was still a, “here we go again”, moment. On December 23rd, I had my 3rd surgery to remove the expander and start on Mega antibiotics for this Bacteria to go away to see when I would be able to get my reconstruction done.

By April 2021, the Bacteria had finally left my body, and I had to wait about 6 months before I could decide to have any more surgeries for reconstruction.

Since this was simply aesthetic, I decided not to have any more surgeries for reconstruction, and focus my attention on being a wife, mom and more recently, a grandmother to my beautiful granddaughter. I am very thankful for all the support that my Family has given me through this process. I am a healthy woman, I am cancer free, and I’M HERE.

LADIES, PLEASE FEEL IT ON THE FIRST (SELF EXAMS) AND GET YOUR MAMAGRAMS DONE YEARLY WITH OUT FAIL!
“IT SAVED MY LIFE”!