When I was 37, my list of accomplishments included: 4th degree black belt in karate, certified yoga instructor, actress, and amateur model.
I was young, healthy, and independent—and believed the myths that only older, unhealthy, large-breasted, or people with family history got breast cancer. Since none of those descriptions applied to me, I didn’t think I needed to do self-exams; but one day while I was getting ready for a date I thought I felt something that could be a lump that hadn’t been there before. I was supposed to have an annual appointment with my gynecologist that month anyway, so I called the doctor’s office and told them about the possible lump. They were able to get me an appointment in two weeks, and when I saw the gynecologist he ordered a mammogram to investigate the lump. Luckily there was a breast center right next door, and they were able to do the imaging that day.
“I learned that even if you’re not sure it is a health change, get it checked. I trusted my instincts, followed through with testing, and received an accurate diagnosis quickly.”
It turns out that the lump I felt was just a cyst, but the imaging revealed a second mass which they biopsied two weeks later. When the biopsy results came back, I learned that I had stage 2B breast cancer, and it was in my lymph nodes. Treatment included a left mastectomy, followed by a full auxiliary node surgery, and finally 4 months of chemotherapy.
To this day I’m amazed that I felt something and actually followed up on it—it would have been so easy to dismiss the lump or tell myself that it was nothing. I learned that even if you’re not sure it is a health change, get it checked. I trusted my instincts, followed through with testing, and received an accurate diagnosis quickly. Now, my list of accomplishments includes State Leader for New York City Young Survivor Coalition, which I balance with my full-time editing job. I am also an advocate for early detection education and young people diagnosed with cancer.
Symptom
- felt lump, which turned out to be a cyst; however, the breast imaging uncovered a second cancerous mass
