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It’s been a full year since I found a breast lump that resulted in a cancer diagnosis at the age of 28.
Some facts about my experience getting diagnosed:
- The doctor at the urgent care clinic laughed at me for crying and being worried
- My first ultrasound came back as benign
Some facts about my experience getting diagnosed:
- The doctor at the urgent care clinic laughed at me for crying and being worried
- My first ultrasound came back as benign
- The doctor refused my request for a biopsy to confirm
- I was told to wait 3 months and come back if anything changed
- After 2 months it had grown from 1cm to ~6cms
- I had an ultrasound the week that COVID shut the world down
- I was told to wait 3 months and come back if anything changed
- After 2 months it had grown from 1cm to ~6cms
- I had an ultrasound the week that COVID shut the world down
- I had to fight for two weeks to get a biopsy because 1) COVID was shutting down diagnostic testing (even @BCWoemsnHosp), and 2) I was told I was “too young” to worry
- I eventually got a biopsy at the breast clinic at a different hospital
- I eventually got a biopsy at the breast clinic at a different hospital
- The doctor who performed the biopsy told me she was 99% sure it was benign and not to worry
- I got my results 6 days later - triple negative breast cancer and definitely more progressed than stage 1
- I was alone when I got my diagnosis because the doctor told me to not worry
- I got my results 6 days later - triple negative breast cancer and definitely more progressed than stage 1
- I was alone when I got my diagnosis because the doctor told me to not worry
- Since then, I have done 16 rounds of chemo, 1 blood transfusion, 1 ER visit, like a million blood draws, 20 IVs, one chest x-ray, one MRI, a double mastectomy, 14 rounds of radiation (last one is tomorrow!) then I’ll likely be doing 6 more months of oral chemo as a precaution
- If the doctor at the clinic had taken me seriously - and if I had advocated more for myself - I likely wouldn’t have needed radiation or oral chemo and I would have a much more positive prognosis (I am thankfully still early stage, but extra treatment is never a good thing)
- This isn’t about regret or blame - it’s about visibility and ensuring people understand that even cancer can be something that is dismissed by health care professionals
- I’ve talked about this a lot on Instagram, but on my 'Lumpiversary', wanted to share this story on Twitter
- I’ve talked about this a lot on Instagram, but on my 'Lumpiversary', wanted to share this story on Twitter
- TL;DR - Listen to your body, touch your boobs, and advocate for yourself even if it feels impossibly hard
