Fort Lauderdale nurse practitioner battling breast cancer urges women not to ignore warning signs

Karli Cooke spends her days caring for others. As a nurse practitioner, mother, and clinic owner, she cares for people because it is central to who she is. But when she noticed changes in her own breast, she did something she now warns other women against: She waited.

"I started this year thinking it was gonna be the best year of my life," Cooke said.

The Fort Lauderdale resident found herself facing a breast cancer diagnosis after convincing herself there was little reason to worry.

"I think I just convinced myself that I was 39 and I didn't have any risk factors for breast cancer, so I was putting it off," she said.

As she approached her 40th birthday, Cooke decided to give herself a gift that would change her life: She scheduled a mammogram in March. Weeks later, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer.

Now 40, Cooke is undergoing treatment and learning what it means to put herself first. She has undergone a double mastectomy and receives weekly chemotherapy treatments. Along the way, she has experienced physical changes that have challenged how she sees herself.

"I lost my breasts. I lost my hair. I lost my eyelashes. I lost my eyebrows. This is all assembly, OK?" she said.

For Cooke, the fight against cancer is about more than surgeries and chemotherapy; it is also about learning to accept herself through some of the most difficult moments of her life.

"Have I looked in the mirror and seen a bald head and cried and thought, 'Who is this person?'" Cooke said. "But you know you can't let that take over."

She has developed a personal rule for moments when her reflection becomes difficult to face.

"I tell myself, 'If you're gonna be mean, get out of the mirror. Just get away from the mirror if you're not gonna be nice,'" she said.

Cooke hopes sharing her experience encourages other women to pay attention to changes in their bodies, even if they believe they are too young for breast cancer. Her message is simple: Don't ignore symptoms, don't delay getting checked, and don't assume age alone protects you.

During treatment, Cooke met other women battling the disease, including several younger than she is.

"Out of my group of friends that I've met on this journey, I'm one of the oldest and I only just turned 40 this year, so it's kind of scary actually," she said.

Beyond the physical and emotional toll, Cooke is facing the financial reality of cancer treatment. Despite having health insurance, her coverage does not fully pay for her care, leaving her with substantial medical bills while balancing motherhood and running her practice.

She wants other women facing similar circumstances to know they can ask medical providers about payment plans to help manage treatment costs.

Refusing to let cancer define her future, Cooke compares her mental approach to preparing for a fight.

"It's like in middle school you're going to go fight a school bully," she said. "You can't lay down on the ground and get beat up. You gotta get ready for the fight."

Her story comes as South Florida prepares for the Susan G. Komen MORE THAN PINK Walk, which raises funds to support breast cancer research and community resources.

While Cooke's year has unfolded unexpectedly, she remains determined to make it the best year of her life while continuing her fight against breast cancer.