I just wanted to share my story to raise awareness for younger woman that though you’re likely to be cancer-free at younger ages, it CAN still happen. Last year I began noticing a spot on my right breast. It didn’t feel like a lump – it was just a darkening of my skin. I thought nothing of it! I mean, I’m only nineteen, right? Nothing could be seriously wrong with my breast – I’m not old enough to have those problems, right? I went on asking myself these questions for about a year. Finally I met with my regular doctor who sent me to a gynecologist, who sent me to a skin doctor where he preformed a biopsy on the spot and revealed that there were pre-cancerous cells beneath the skin. I was then sent to one of the best cancer surgeons in Des Moines. I remember thinking through this whole process ‘I’m not old enough for this to happen’. But I was so wrong. You are never too young to take a change in your body seriously. My surgery went well. They removed a large egg size section of the breast tissue and one smaller spot and did some reconstruction. The thing that bothers me most that the doctor told me is that if I had waited much longer this would have spread to my nipple and been a far bigger surgery. And there I was, thinking something like that wasn’t even possible at my age. Girls, please never be too young or nervous to take care of yourself. It’s never stupid to ask. God bless! PS – My six month checkup was last month and I am cancer free!
Kate
Iowa
Submitted 7-25-11
This story is intended to convey a personal experience and, because every person’s experience is unique, should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
