My story began just over a year ago. While breastfeeding my daughter who was 16 months old, I noticed a lump in my left breast and along with the lump, I was extremely tired but more a feeling of fatigue with very little energy. I lost my mom to breast cancer and despite natural changes that occur during breastfeeding I knew that I needed to reach out to my family doctor, so I made an appointment. My family doctor wasn’t concerned and confidently told me not to worry because I was too young and breast cancer while breastfeeding was rare. She sent me home and told me it was probably a blocked milk duct and that all mothers with young children are exhausted. A week had passed and despite massaging my breast with warm water in the shower and continuing with breastfeeding nothing changed. I called my family doctor and demanded that she order an ultrasound or mammogram.

I wasn’t able to get an appointment for the scans until almost a month later and even then, when I went for my mammogram, the technician refused and said she wouldn’t be able to get a clear image due to my breastfeeding and me having dense breasts. Thankfully, they had a thorough and attentive ultrasound technician who was able to get a clear image. I knew something was off when they called me the next day to come back for the mammogram. After my mammogram, I was informed that the images were highly suspicious and a week later I went for a biopsy. On March 20 2024, I got a call that I was going to meet with a surgeon and that’s when I knew that my biopsy was positive. After further testing on April 10, it was confirmed that I had early-stage triple positive breast cancer and a BRCA2 genetic mutation.

I started chemotherapy on May 1st. I received 6 cycles of Carboplatin, Docetaxel and Herceptin. I am blessed to have wonderful people in my life who helped and continue to care for me and my family during my treatment. After chemotherapy, I had a double mastectomy and due to post operative tachycardia I needed to stay in the hospital for a few days. After waiting a month for the pathology report, I was told I had achieved a pathological complete response to chemotherapy. Currently, I’m still undergoing Herceptin and I have 4 more infusions to go. I recently had an infection in my left tissue expander and had to have emergency surgery to remove my expander, and I’m now awaiting reconstruction.

I’m now on hormone suppression therapy and will be needing to be on these drugs for the next 10 years. I will be having my tubes and ovaries removed in the next couple of months. I’m still in this fight and probably always will be to some degree for the remainder of my life. Though I do my best to focus my attention on my life day to day making memories with my children and trying not to worry too much about the what ifs.

My advice for women, especially for us young women, is that regardless of what statistics might say, you need to advocate for your health. You know your body better than anyone else and push for the scans, especially if you have a close blood relative who’s been diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s becoming more prevalent among young women and catching it early is the best defence. Please check your breasts regularly and if something doesn’t feel right be persistent for the scans.