ROCK SPRINGS — It began when she noticed the lump.

Ashley Corthell discovered a small lump in her breast in March, but didn’t think anything of it, believing it came from breastfeeding her young son. Ashley’s family has a history of breast cancer; multiple relatives have dealt with the disease. Ashley said she initially ignored the lump until her husband, Brandan, encouraged her to have it checked out. A mammogram and ultrasound led to the discovery of her tumor.

“I think initially, when I got the call, I was in shock, but I was also kind of expecting it to be that for some reason,” Ashley said. “It took a while for the news to set in.”

Ashley said both she and her husband were in denial for a few weeks following the tumor’s discovery. She said life went on, but the tumor’s existence remained in the back of her mind. On May 18, she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer.

It’s hard to willingly take yourself somewhere where you know you’re going to feel crappy for a while, even though it is helping you.

On June 30, she underwent a lumpectomy and breast reduction at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. Ashley said she had a celebration with friends the night before her surgery and completely trusted the doctors involved in the procedure. However, she also admitted to feeling nervous about how long she would be under sedation.

“I just wanted to be surrounded by friends and loved ones heading into the surgery,” she said. “My surgeons were fantastic, but yes, definitely a lot of nerves and emotions heading into it.”

She started chemotherapy Aug. 6, receiving treatment every two weeks. Her last treatment is scheduled for Nov. 12. The first half of the process wasn’t too hard on Ashley, who said she didn’t feel many of the side effects commonly associated with chemotherapy. However, the second half has been more intense, often causing her fatigue and joint pain. She also expects to deal with neuropathy as it is also common with the specific chemotherapy treatment she’s undergoing.

A month after her final chemotherapy treatment, she will begin 20 rounds of radiation therapy. In March, one year after discovering the lump, she will begin five years of hormone-blocking medication as her hormones fuel the cancer she has.

“Those pills shut everything down in the hope that it kills any remaining cancer that’s floating around,” Ashley said.

Through it all, Ashley says she has a positive outlook despite the challenges stemming from her diagnosis. She credits Brandan’s sense of humor with helping her find humor throughout everything. Chemotherapy has been difficult though.

“It’s hard to willingly take yourself somewhere where you know you’re going to feel crappy for a while, even though it is helping you,” she said.

Ashley also said she feels fortunate for the support she has received. She received a grant from Cowboys Against Cancer and has gotten support from friends and family. She said people sometimes don’t know how they can help or if they can, while at the same time she admits sometimes struggling to tell people if she needs help with something. She’s also coming to terms with accepting that she isn’t going to be happy and positive every day.

“It’s OK not to be OK during the process,” she said. “There’s a lot of it that just sucks, and you don’t have to have a positive attitude all of the time.”

While she begins hormone therapy in March, the month also represents a finish line for her. She said she wants to host a celebration for friends and family to not only celebrate the end of her cancer treatment, but also anything they’re celebrating at that same time.

“Big and small – I’m going to have a big banner where everyone can write their accomplishments and things they’re celebrating,” she said.