Lashing Out

I am now 2 months post chemo and my eyelashes and eyebrows are back! My eyelashes are almost longer than they were before chemo thanks to Latisse. I have been using it since approximately 1 month after chemo ended, when I started to notice some re-growth. According to the aesthetician where I bought it, there is no point in starting until some re-growth is visible as it will not work.

This product claims to help you grow longer and thicker lashes within 16 weeks and is actually a version of a glaucoma drug in eye drop form called bimatoprost. Some people say that it can change the colour of your eyes but based on what I was told, that would only happen if you put the drops directly into your eyes for a prolonged period. So don't do that! Simply follow the instructions and hopefully it works as well for you as it did for me. I did not need a prescription and got it from a local "medical spa". Here is some additional information:

http://www.latisse.com/WhatToExpect.aspx

Tip: You can also use it off-label on your eyebrows to help speed up re-growth. 

I don't usually endorse products like this but from what I have read, Latisse appears to be safe, as long as it is used as directed. The box that I bought lasts around 2-3 months and I likely won't continue it after that but for a time when all I wanted to do was hide out in my house and avoid any mirrors, it gave me the push I needed to go back out in public and keep living my life. I never thought being able to put on mascara again would make me so happy!

Take Your Vitamins!

After surgery, I started seeing a Naturopath and am so glad I found one with the FABNO designation (Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology). It was important to me that they had this designation because it requires an additional board certification examination in oncology. My Naturopath is familiar with the chemo drugs that I received and has experience treating cancer patients. He recommended high dose Vitamin C IVs prior to surgery to promote wound healing and in high doses, Vitamin C can kill cancer cells. I am skeptical about the second claim but figured there is no downside so it was worth a try. If it does kill cancer cells, great, and if not at least it can help me recover from surgery quicker. If anyone is interested, here are some articles regarding high dose Vitamin C:

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/vitamin-c-pdq

http://www.oasisofhope.com/cancer-treatments-therapies/vitamin-c/

The Naturopath also suggested some other supplements to take before and after surgery, one of them being Vitamin D. There are many articles showing that the majority of women with breast cancer are deficient in Vitamin D. This is something that my family doctor, Oncologist and Naturopath all agree on (and is probably the only thing they agree on). At the beginning of chemo my family doctor suggested taking 1,000 IU a day even though my levels had never been tested. After 3 months, I requested a blood test which showed that my levels were still below the normal range so my Naturopath has me taking 5,000 IU a day until they increase. I am not saying everyone needs to take this much but I do think it is important to have your Vitamin D level tested! If I wouldn't have questioned it, I would still be taking 1,000 IU a day thinking that was enough, never knowing that I was still deficient.

Seeing a Naturopath is not an option that is available to everyone as it is expensive and not usually covered by drug plans. I am of the mindset that if you can afford it, it is money well spent. The supplements I am taking combined with the lifestyle changes I made have me feeling better than I did before cancer.

Mastectomy

The first few days after surgery were rough but not nearly as bad as I thought they would be. The anticipation and not knowing what to expect can send you into a dark place but I am here to tell anyone else about to go through this that you will be fine. The pain is manageable, the drains are annoying, bathing is a pain and you will have a couple new scars that you didn't have before but you will make it.

Pain- When I woke up from surgery I was nauseous but they quickly gave me some drugs and the feeling went away. They had put morphine into my IV so I didn't really feel any major pain while in the hospital. I guess they wanted me out of there as soon as possible because my surgery finished around 5pm and I was discharged by 9am the next morning. The pain didn't really kick in until I got home the next day but with a few Tylenol 3's, I was good to go. 

Drain- It was annoying, especially when sleeping but I found that putting a pillow under my arm made things more comfortable. I am a side/stomach sleeper so had to learn to sleep on my back but it is possible. I have some pregnant friends and I can't imagine sleeping with a bowling ball in your stomach would be any more comfortable so I sucked it up. My drain was in for 6 days and the nurses said it could be up to 3 weeks so I was happy about that. I attribute my speedy healing to the high dose Vitamin C IVs I did leading up to my surgery but I will write another post about that later. 

Bathing- The link I included in the last post mentioned getting a lanyard or something to put around your neck and clip the drain onto when in the bath tub. I found that really helped to make sure the drain didn't pull. I didn't shower until the drain was out because I wanted to make sure it didn't get infected but that is my personal choice. The hospital said that I could start showering 2 days after, as long as the wounds were covered. 

Important tip for anyone with a port- Ask if your surgeon will remove the port at the same time as your surgery. I only thought to ask because I had read someone else's blog. Why go through another procedure where more needles and freezing are needed to remove the port? None of my doctors mentioned this as an option but when I brought it up, my surgeon said it wouldn't be a problem. When I woke up from surgery, voila, my port was gone! At least there was one positive part of that experience.

Preparing for Surgery

I don't know how you are supposed to prepare to have your breast chopped off. I had done hours of research before getting my port put in and before my first chemo but for some reason I didn't feel the need to prepare as much before surgery. Maybe it's because I am getting tired...tired of thinking about cancer, talking about cancer and being a cancer patient. It has consumed me for 6 months now but it feels like so much longer.

Regardless, I did manage to do a few google searches the day before surgery and found some helpful tips for getting through a mastectomy: http://www.healthline.com/health/breast-cancer/tips-for-getting-through-mastectomy. The hospital gave me a list of items to pack but there are other things on this list that I hadn't thought about like downloading some of your favourite movies and songs. 

I also found it was helpful to increase my time in the gym leading up to surgery. Throughout chemo I was pretty good about getting out to the gym at least twice a week for an hour. I had read an article about Jennifer Griffin, the FOX news correspondent who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2009. In the article she talked about how exercise and a strict diet became her tamoxifen. Unlike estrogen receptor positive breast cancer, when you are triple negative there are no drugs like Tamoxifen or Zoladex that can be taken after chemo and radiation are complete to prevent recurrence. For triple negative breast cancer, the main way to prevent recurrence is a healthy lifestyle so I figured that exercising regularly would not only help me keep off the extra pounds women commonly gain during chemo but also contribute to my recovery. After chemo ended and before surgery, I increased my exercise to 3-4 days a week.

The only other thing that was recommended is buying a mastectomy camisole or bra. I was once again reminded that breast cancer is usually something older women face upon walking into a local store where everything was obviously made for someone 50+. Thankfully, I managed to find a bra at a store near my hospital where everything on display wasn't something a grandma would wear. 

There Go My Eyelashes

Before starting chemo I spent hours scouring blogs trying to figure out when I would lose my eyelashes and eyebrows. For some reason, losing the hair on my head or the rest of my body didn't seem like a big deal because it can be covered up but I was terrified about losing the hair on my face.

If others are looking for the same answers, here is my experience:

After AC

• Lost 70% of the hair on my head after 18 days. The rest came out gradually after that but I wasn't really keeping track since I had shaved my hair short and didn't really notice. A lot of women rock the bald look which I commend them for but I personally am so glad I have a wig that I feel confident in. 
• Still had about 80% of my eyelashes and eyebrows, so it was not even really that noticeable.

After 1st round of Taxol

• Down to about 50% of my eyelashes and eyebrows

I lost the rest of my eyelashes gradually after the 2nd round of Taxol and by my last infusion, I only had a couple left. I tried not to touch them because the minute I rubbed my eye, they would fall out. 

Now I am 2 weeks post chemo. I still have maybe 20% of my eyebrows left, enough that I don't need to draw them on yet and all of my eyelashes are gone. I find that when I apply a black eyeliner on the top and bottom, it isn't really that obvious. I use a L'Oreal liquid liner on the top and an Annabelle pencil for the bottom.

A Cause for Celebration?

My 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds of Taxol were as uneventful as the first one which I am grateful for. At my last infusion, the nurses in the chemo suite presented me with a certificate to congratulate me. I also received messages from family and friends all asking if I was excited that chemo is finally over. The problem is, I don't think of my last chemo as something to celebrate. I think of it as the last step in the first part of a very long journey. I still have surgery and radiation ahead of me, not to mention all of the question marks that come after that including returning to work, check ups, scans, hopefully having kids and doing everything I can to prevent this horrible disease from ever recurring. I don't mean to be negative, I would just call it being realistic. Some people may celebrate the end of chemo as a milestone in their cancer journey which is great, but it's not for me. I'm just glad they didn't make me ring the bell.*

*My cancer centre has a bell in the lobby that is used to mark a milestone in your journey. I think I will ring it in 2-3 years when I am still cancer free.

Taxol

Everyone says that Taxol is much easier than AC but because I didn't have many problems with AC, I was worried that I would be the opposite (that always seems to be the case with me). Luckily, I did not have a reaction my first infusion.

The pre-medications with Taxol are different as well, I took Dexamethasone 12 and 6 hours before chemo. My infusions were scheduled in the mornings so unfortunately this meant waking up at 3am to take my medications. One of the main side effects of Dexamethasone is insomnia so good luck getting back to sleep. Here is what I recommend:

• Take a sleeping pill with the Dextamethisone if you have to take it in the middle of the night. I took Zopiclone which helped me go back to sleep. 
• Eat something small with the Dexamethisone so your stomach doesn't get upset. 
• Bring something with you to your infusions as they are long. If my chemo was scheduled for 9am, I usually didn't leave the hospital until at least 2pm. I had magazines, an adult colouring book and of course, my family to keep me occupied. 

Sugar Feeds Cancer

When I first started chemo, it didn't occur to me that what I ate would potentially impact the effectiveness of my treatment. Dieticians are available to patients through the cancer centre so I asked to meet with one in hopes of getting some guidance on what I should be eating, what foods to avoid and healthy recipes. I even signed up for a nutrition course which unfortunately turned out to be an overview of Canada's Food Guide.

Since I was not having much luck through the hospital, I decided to do some of my own research and found several articles regarding the link between sugar and cancer. This seems to be a widely debated subject with some sources saying that sugar feeds cancer cells. Although I'm not the extremist type that is going to cut all sugar out of my diet, I really wish someone would have told me this information! One of the arguments behind this claim is that cancer cells uptake sugar at 10-12 times the rate of healthy cells.  In fact, that is the basis of PET (positive emission tomography) scans — one of the most accurate tools for detecting cancer growth. You can read more about it here: http://beatcancer.org/2014/03/5-reasons-cancer-and-sugar-are-best-friends/

Of course, there are also many articles stating that the relationship between sugar and cancer is a myth and as long as you consume sugar in moderation and maintain a healthy weight, there are no risks. I found that this was an interesting article: https://www.oncologynutrition.org/erfc/healthy-nutrition-now/sugar-and-cancer/

Regardless, I have decided to limit the amount of sugar that I eat during treatment and going forward. All of the sugary brownies and cookies that people were nice enough to make when they found out about my diagnosis have now been replaced by natural sugars found in fruits. If there is even a possibility that limiting sugar could help in my recovery, I'm willing to try it.

AC Chemo Done!

I think I was pretty lucky in terms of side effects because I didn't have many with this portion of the chemo. It's gross and not many people want to talk about it but the main issue was with constipation. If you are pro-active and start taking Colaise and Senekot as directed 1-2 days before each treatment, it should prevent any issues. Obviously the nurses keep telling me to eat lots of fibre and fruit but that doesn't always work!

Like many others doing dose dense AC which is every 2 weeks instead of every 3, I had a Neulasta shot 24 hours after chemo to boost my white blood cells. I was told that this shot is $3,000 so many people take the alternative which is Neupogen. The main difference is cost and that Neupogen is given daily as opposed to one shot. I was glad that my employer covered 60% and the remainder was paid by the Victory Program. If you are in Canada, the Victory Program may be worth looking into. The nurse that administered the shot said most people take it in their arm but I found my stomach was much less painful. Another tip to reduce the stinging of the medicine going in is to take the Neulasta out of the fridge at least one hour before the injection. I got some pain in my shoulders and neck for about 1-2 days following the shot but other than that, the side effects were minimal. Many people experience much worse than this so again, being younger probably worked in my favour.

All through AC, my white blood cell count remained pretty low so I can only imagine what it would have been without the Neulasta. Even though your count might be below the "normal" range, they can usually still go ahead with chemo unless it is really low. I ask for all of my blood test results and put them into a spreadsheet so I can track them. I have found that this can be helpful and may spark some questions when meeting with your Oncologist depending on how things are tracking. 

Now, on to Taxol...

The Red Devil

Of course when I started chemo, the doctors and nurses told me all about the side effects of adriamycin and cytoxan (a.k.a the red devil). Some of these include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Appetite changes
• Painful mouth sores
• Hair loss
• Constipation

There is a lot of talk about how horrible these drugs make you feel but through this post, I want to tell you that not everyone is bedridden for days or not able to eat because of a metallic taste in your mouth or sores. I did have mouth sores but found that gargling with salt water helped them go away before they got so bad that they could prevent me from eating. I love food so I think that side effect more than anything would have been devastating. In fact, whoever accompanied me to my chemo sessions always brought food and I ate while the drugs were being pumped into me. I actually think that helped limit the side effects that I experienced as I was never nauseous. I'm sure my age also had something to do with it...I guess that is one good thing about having to go through this when you are only 30 years old. 

In case anyone is interested, I used the mouth wash after every meal and also sometimes in between. It consisted of:

1 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Put the mixture beside your sink in a glass bottle so you remember to use it often. If I did see a mouth sore, I soaked a Q-Tip in the mouthwash and applied it to the area. After doing this for 1-2 days, it went away. There is also the "magic mouthwash" that can be prescribed but I never needed it.

No Hair, Don't Care

Who knew that your hair falling out would hurt? I had been told that my hair would begin to fall out approx. 14 days after my first chemo. Oddly enough, when I woke up in the morning, I didn't have a bunch of hair on my pillow like so many other people describe. When I brushed my hair though, that's when I saw it...all of my beautiful hair stuck to the brush and on the floor. My social worker at the hospital advised that I should cut my hair shorter to get used to that look before it all fell out. My feeling was, what is the point in cutting half of it off if it's just going to fall out anyways?

I lasted exactly 18 days after my first chemo which I guess is longer than most. At that point, when I washed and dried my hair, it was coming out pretty fast and furious so I went to get it chopped off. The place where I got my wig was able to tie my hair into small pony tails and cut those so I could keep the majority of it either to donate or for extensions later on. At first as the hairdresser started cutting, I wondered if I could have waited another few days but it turned out this was the right time as when tying one of the pony tails, she pulled it right off my head!

The social worker explained that for many people, loosing their hair is the worst part. You have to mourn the loss of it before you are able to move on. I cried as each pony tail was being cut but found that after the shock of looking in the mirror, I put on my wig and was myself again. A lot of people say that you will not want to wear your wig at home because it is uncomfortable but I wear it from when I wake up in the morning to when I go to bed at night. Everyone is different and my recommendation is to do whatever you are comfortable with.

To Port or Not to Port

Getting a port-a-cath was a big stumbling block for me and caused a lot of stress. The port is implanted under your skin to allow for easier access to a major vein instead of a nurse trying to find one in your arm each treatment. My concerns with the port were many, among them being the fact that a foreign object would be put in my body, the procedure that was needed, the risk of infection/clotting and worrying about it being visible when wearing lower cut tops. The other thing that bothered me most was how the doctor approached it, as if getting the port was not a choice. In our initial meeting, I was given a date for the port procedure along with a small information pamphlet and that was it.

After reading other people's posts online, I know my fears were justified and I was not over-reacting. It took me a while to come around and I did end up getting the port, I just wish it would have been presented to me differently. There are other options (ex. a PICC line) that I was not told about which also added to my frustration. As a young, active person, the port was definitely a better choice since the location of the PICC line is right on the inside of your arm, it is bulky and cannot get wet so you have to keep it dry in the shower. I just wish that someone would have explained all of this to me along with the pros and cons and let me choose rather than making the decision for me. For anyone else debating whether to get the port, here are my words of advice:

• Ask a nurse or doctor to show it to you so you can see what it looks like. Ask them about the benefits of getting that over a PICC line or regular IV.
• The radiologist that inserts the port has some flexibility in where it is located. Talk to them ahead of time and if you are worried about it being visible, ask them if it can be placed in a location where it is hidden. The morning of the procedure, I tried on some t-shirts and tank tops and made a mark where I wanted the port to be placed. The radiologist was excellent and able to put the port where I had marked.
• Take the Ativan that they offer before the procedure if you are nervous.
• Follow the instructions they give you regarding caring for the incision after it is inserted. I was very careful with it and have not experienced any issues. 

I am not advocating for the port, in fact, it has been in my body for almost 3 months now and I refuse to touch it or even acknowledge that it is there but after weighing the alternatives, I am glad I got it. 

Wigging Out

How does one prepare themselves for chemotherapy and the ridiculous number of side effects that the doctors have warned you about? I don't really have an answer to that question but can tell you what helped me:

1. Go to the dentist - This may seem like a weird recommendation but it is a good idea to get a cleaning before chemo begins to help prevent any mouth problems. The Adriamycin and Cytoxan combo especially is known to cause mouth sores so the better shape your teeth and gums are in before chemo, hopefully, the fewer side effects you will have.

2. Get a wig - Looking as "normal" as possible during chemo was a big deal for me so before my hair started falling out, I knew I wanted a wig that looked as close to my regular hair as possible. After researching different wig shops online and going to check them out, I found a place that made the wigs in their store and offered a length that was similar to my own (24 inches). It was hard to find a place that had a longer length and a colour similar to mine (dirty blonde) which is why I am glad I started looking right away as it can take a while.

The other debate is whether you want synthetic or real hair. I have heard people argue the pros and cons of both but my personal recommendation is definitely real hair for a couple reasons:

• It can be highlighted to look like your natural colour
• Synthetic hair does not look and feel the same
• It can be styled and blow dried, exactly like your real hair would
• It is more comfortable (I also have a synthetic wig and was constantly scratching my head when wearing it)
• If you are going to be wearing a wig for 12+ months, why not spend the money and get something that makes you feel confident

My wig was over $2,000 but when I wear it in public, the majority of people would never know it is a wig. It is so comfortable, even I forget sometimes! I know that this is expensive but it is worth looking into your insurance to see how much might be covered.

3. Read information online (with caution) - I say with caution because there is a lot of information available and not all of it applies to your situation. If, like me, you find that the information in the phamphlets from the oncologist are not providing all of the answers to your questions, chat groups can he useful. Do keep in mind though that there will be some people who experienced terrible side effects with chemo and others that had none. I am the type of person that needs to know what they are walking into and if you are the same, doing a bit of pre-reading might not be a bad idea. I found this article was helpful: http://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/chemotherapy/what-expect-when-having-chemotherapy

4. Take a leave from work - Being off work during chemo has helped me through treatment in so many ways. Not having to book appointments around my work schedule, sleeping when I need to sleep and just generally taking the time to focus all of my attention on my health has been so important. I realize that some people choose to work during chemo as it is a distraction and others are not in a situation financially where they can take a leave. Everyone is different but for me, not having to be in the office 9-5pm on top of everything else going on has taken away so much stress and allowed me the time to concentrate on what really matters.

A Second Opinion

In the 3 weeks following my diagnosis, I met with so many doctors, I could not keep them straight. The process by which doctors were assigned to me was a bit frustrating as rather than picking my team of doctors based on their merits and recommendations, I felt like I had very little choice. This was both a good and a bad thing:

The Good
This process was quick - I was able to meet with a medical oncologist, surgeon and radiation oncologist all within 2 weeks of being diagnosed.

The Bad
What if I wanted a second opinion? What if I am not comfortable with one of the doctors?

I felt like I was being pulled in different directions as it was a balancing act...I didn't want to delay treatment but at the same time, wanted a second opinion regarding the surgery. I also didn't like how I was made to feel like a second opinion wasn't allowed. Questions from doctors about why I would want to consult with another surgeon and being given the run around when trying to figure out how to get a referral were things that I was not expecting to deal with. The advice that I would offer to anyone in a similar situation is to go with your gut. If you are not comfortable with one of your doctors, you have every right to explore other options. The healthcare system in Canada is different than the US but just because I am not paying out of pocket, doesn't mean that I should feel like I am being cornered into making a decision that will affect the rest of my life. In the end, I did end up getting a second opinion and am glad I did.

Embryos on Ice

Once it was determined that I would need chemotherapy, one of the first things the doctor warned me about was the possibility that I may become infertile. I would start on Adriamycin and Cytoxan for 4 cycles followed by Taxol for 4 cycles and she explained that chemotherapy in general, and specifically the AC combo can put women into early menopause. There is no way for the doctor to know how you will be affected, however, typically the younger you are, the more likely it is your ovaries will produce fertile eggs after chemotherapy. I am hoping this will be the case but did not want to risk it as my husband and I have always wanted kids (and had actually been planning to start a family right around the same time that I was diagnosed). Not only finding out that I had breast cancer but also facing the very real possibility of never having kids was a huge blow. 

Especially when chemotherapy is given before surgery, time is of the essence if you want to try doing a cycle of IVF. With my doctor's referral, I called a fertility clinic and booked an appointment right away. After speaking with the doctor, we decided to try freezing some embryos before I started chemo and we had 15 days to do it. Based on what I have read, there are not many couples that choose this option for a variety of reasons. Cost can be a major factor but there are some programs like Fertile Future that aim to make fertility preservation treatment more affordable. Timing is also a concern but if it is important to you, IVF is worth looking into.

I am triple negative so after consulting with my oncologist, she thought it would be safe to start with the hormone injections right away. After a tough 15 days of multiple needles, ultrasounds and the egg retrieval, we now have frozen embryos and hope that having kids will be in our future!

Tests, Tests and more Tests...

In the days following my diagnosis, the phone was ringing off the hook with calls from doctors confirming appointments. Actually getting through the tests was the easy part, it was waiting for the results that was hell. Every hour felt like a day and weekends were the worst. During this time, trying to remain in a good frame of mind mentally is the most important part. This, however, is much easier said than done. I couldn't sleep but knew how important it was for my health so had sleeping pills prescribed by my doctor...this is something I would recommend. I hate taking pills (I don't even usually take Aspirin) but am so glad that I had them. 

Another thing that helped me was to take control of my appointments. This meant following up with my doctor regularly to ensure that all of the appropriate tests were being scheduled as soon as possible. My doctor's office has a policy that they submit the referral and only follow up 8 days later if the test has not been scheduled. For someone who has just been diagnosed this cancer, 8 days is an eternity...for one test, I just called the hospital myself to follow up. I would strongly encourage others to ask what their doctor's policy is and make their own calls if needed. Once a test was done, if they said the results would be available in 2 days, I was calling my doctor exactly 2 days later. Don't feel shy or embarrasaed doing this, it is your health and if you have a good doctor, they will understand. 

I can't stress enough how important it is to get a copy of all your tests! These have come in very handy along the way and I bring them to all of my appointments. There are also a lot of specific terms used, especially in the pathology report, that I researched afterwards as I found the doctor didn't clearly explain it or I needed more information. 

Here is a rundown of the tests that were done:

Ultrasound of breast and axilla
Mammogram
X-ray of clavicle
MRI
CT Scan
Ultrasound of uterus needed based on CT Scan results
Bone Scan

I found that the tests themselves were painless (other than a needle to inject the dye). I won't go through the tests in detail but did find that the following website was helpful in terms of learning what to expect: http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types

Why Me?

Chance of getting breast cancer in my lifetime -12.4%

Chance of getting breast cancer at age 30 - 0.44%

*According to the National Cancer Institute website

With these statistics and absolutely no history of breast cancer in my family, you can imagine how shocked I was to hear that I was 1 of 227 women (0.44%) that would be diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30. Like many others in this situation I'm sure, I watch what I eat, go to the gym on a regular basis, consume alcohol in moderation and have never smoked. As someone who had been planning this stage in my life since I was a kid, this is the last thing that I would have expected. 

It started when I woke up one night with a shooting pain in my chest. I felt a lump in my breast and scheduled a doctor’s appointment right away but thinking nothing of it, they were not able to see me immediately and my life was busy so almost 2 weeks went by before I saw the doctor. When she felt it, she was sure it was a cyst and sent me for an ultrasound. My first indication that something was wrong is when the ultrasound technician asked a doctor to come in and look at the images before I left the clinic. I was worried but they assured me that I would have the results within a few days. When I heard back from the doctor, she confirmed that a mammogram, second ultrasound and biopsy would be needed but assured me that it was likely not cancer as it did not fit the characteristics. After looking on the Canadian Cancer Society website, those characteristics / symptoms include:

• A lump in the breast – the most common first sign

• A lump in the armpit (axilla)

• Changes in breast shape or size

• Skin change

• The skin of the breast may become dimpled or puckered. 

• Redness, swelling and increased warmth (signs that look like an infection) may be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer.

• Itching of the breast or nipple may be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer.

• Itchiness is often not relieved by ointments, creams or other medications.

• Nipple changes

• Discharge from one nipple may be a sign of breast cancer

Other than a lump in my breast and armpit, I had none of these symptoms. I also read online that pain is more often a symptom of a non-cancerous (benign) condition so my case did not fit. Even though I was hoping for a positive outcome, deep down inside I knew what it was. Five days after the biopsy, my doctor confirmed it. 

What I Learned

• The importance of surrounding yourself with immediate family in the first few days after being diagnosed. 

• If you are unsure as to whether a lump you are feeling is abnormal, schedule a doctors appointment RIGHT AWAY.

• Push your doctor for more regular physical exams if you think it is appropriate. Right now the recommendation is every 3 years for women my age, which I personally feel is not enough.