Age and Diagnosis
Age 33 stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma, estrogen and progesterone positive, her2 negative, grade 3
Family History or BRCA?
A great aunt was diagnosed at age 70 but no other family history.
Who caught it?
I woke up one morning and brushed my fingers along the underside of my left breast. There was a large lump not too far under the skin. How could I have not felt this before? My heart stopped, I got nauseous, dizzy, and broke into a sweat. I had never had lumpy breasts and this lump was hard as a rock.
Did your doctors listen to you?
I was able to get into the doctor that day. He assured me that it felt smooth and moveable so he didn't think it was anything, but he wanted me to have an ultrasound to be sure. 2 days later I had the ultrasound and a day after that I had my diagnosis. I am so thankful my doctors acted fast and didn't blow me off.
What would you say to a young woman who thinks something might be wrong?
Do your self exams. I never did mine because I incorrectly assumed that because I was young and had no family history, I was not at risk at a young age. My tumor was rather large when I found it. If I had done checks I could have caught it earlier. Please insist on an ultrasound if you find a lump. Insist on a biopsy if its determined to be solid. It's not the most fun I've ever had but its much better to know what you're dealing with and get treatment started than to ignore it.
No comments:
Post a Comment