Lexie

The next story comes from Lexie, who you can learn more about at Lexie's Breast Cancer.


Age and diagnosis

39

Left Breast - Infiltrating Poorly Differentiated Duct Cell Carcinoma
                    Stage IIIc, ER+/PR-, HER2-
                    Histologic Grade 3/3, Nuclear Grade 3/3, Mitotic Grade 2/3


Family history or BRCA mutation?

Yes I have BRCA 2.

[Lexie's blog states that her mother and grandmother passed away from ovarian cancer.]


Who caught it?

My husband.

[Here is more from Lexie's blog]

This was June 2012 the doctor also gave me my prescription for the mammogram to have it done by August. Since we were moving and breast cancer was the last thing on my mind I pushed it off. One day in September [her husband] touched me and felt the lump. For some reason I knew right away it was cancer. So when I went for the mammogram I told the tech. When I went back for the ultrasound you could tell by the look on their face even if they did try to hide it. 

I am glad I did not wait for my doctor to call me and I took matters into my own hands. I got the whole process started much earlier then if I would have waited and the outcome might have been different. But right now I am happy but scared I am worried that when all said and done this will come back and I won't be around to watch [her son] get older and married.

What were the signs?

Just a lump.


Did your doctors listen to you?

No not in the beginning.  I was very proactive and switched surgeons and oncologists,


What would you say to a young woman who thinks she might have something wrong?

Listen to your gut.  You know what is going on with your body.

Anne

Next up, is Anne's story.  Please visit Anne's blog, which can be found here.

 

 

Age and Diagnosis

 

28 years old, and stage 1 breast cancer .

 

Family history or BRCA mutation?

 

No family history at all, but I am BRCA2+.  [Please see here for more information regarding the BRCA mutations.]

 

 

Who caught it?

 

I found it myself, in the shower. Brought it up to my OBGYN who said it was most likely a cyst. After a radiologist confirmed it was a mass, my breast specialist also told me it was probably nothing. His exact words to me were "I don't think this is cancer. If I did, I would tell you".  But he finally agreed to biopsy it. When he called with the biopsy results that it was indeed cancer, I could tell he felt very guilty for telling me it was "nothing".

 

 

What were the signs?

 

A small, hard pea sized lump

 

 

Did your doctors listen to you?

 

No. In fact had I not been pregnant at the time (I subsequently lost the pregnancy), I don't think my doctors would have felt pressured to pursue it.

 

 

What would you say to a young woman who thinks she might have something wrong?

 

Be your own best advocate. Pressure your doctors to give you an answer. Young women CAN and DO get breast cancer. Even the youngest, healthiest, least suspecting ones who "did everything right" to live within the lowest risk factors.