I am 30 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer, specifically invasive ductal carcinoma. Before my diagnosis, I didn't even know what that meant. Now I have been forced into a reality where I not only know what it means but my doctors appointments and daily thoughts are filled with other previously unfamiliar words like neoadjuvant therapy, metastases, HER2 and triple negative.

I started this blog in hopes that some of the information I share may be helpful to other young women in a similar situation. Rather than posting my day to day experiences, feelings and progress, I plan to share some of the things I have learned along the way. Being dealt this hand in life at 30 years old brings with it some unique issues and questions. Will I ever have kids? How will this affect my relationships with my husband and friends? What is my long term prognosis?

Through this site you may find that my way of dealing with things is a bit different. I want to be educated about my disease and take an active role in my treatment and recovery. I want to understand every part of my pathology report, what it means, and feel confident that my doctors are recommending the best course of action. At each stage in my journey, I have experienced challenges with finding answers to my questions and ensuring that the medical professionals treating me really understand who I am and why my way of dealing with this disease may be unlike other women. My hope is that people will be able to relate to my experiences, learn from them and find some comfort that they are not alone.

Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Why Me?

Chance of getting breast cancer in my lifetime -12.4%
Chance of getting breast cancer at age 30 - 0.44%

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.
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