The day began like every other: a quick shower, a bite to eat,
and mad dash out the door in hopes I would make it to work on
time, except this time, I never made it past step one. Here I was,
a working twenty-something-year-old with big dreams, huge
goals, and a small lump in my breast that had the potential to
wipe everything away. Could it be breast cancer? Scared
Too young for breast cancer, and did not know anyone
who’d had it. I had no family history of it. Yet, there I was,
hands shaking, knees quaking, heart beating out of my chest. I
had a lump and didn’t know what to do about it. I ran out of
the restroom in nothing more than a towel and a flood of tears
and asked my roommate to feel it. Panic did not even begin to
define what happened in the next few minutes. We were a mess,
a pair of inexperienced ‘kids’ who thought the world had
come to an end.
A MAMMOGRAM?
An emergency call to my general practitioner led to an
office visit, a mammogram, a diagnostic mammogram, and an
ultrasound. Techs were on standby for a biopsy. The radiologist
hovered nearby. I thought my fate was sealed. I had breast
cancer and life as I knew it had come to an end.
The consummate professional, the radiologist leaned over
me as my heart beat uncontrollably out of my chest and said
that I had what looked like a fibroadenoma (a non-cancerous
tumor). Other tests followed, my brush with a devastating diagnosis
was over, but the lessons learned will forever be a part of me.
One seemingly innocuous shower took me down a road I
did not think possible at my age. I was not even doing a breast
exam. A quick turn, a jarring movement, a near slip and
fall and I felt a lump. My almost-nightmare taught me a
valuable lesson. Breast health was nothing to ignore. It did
not take long before my friends, and I were talking about it,
and more importantly, marking our calendars to make out
monthly checks. Our lives depended on it. Something that
we thought couldn’t touch us until we were older proved to
be just as dangerous for us as it was for anyone. Scared
T E S T, A P P O I N T M E N T S A N D C O U N T L E S S
HOURS
After several tests, many appointments, and countless
hours of research, I finally had my lumpectomy. During those
agonizing weeks between lump to diagnosis to how to treat
my condition, I became very introspective and devoured
information and had many heart to heart talks with my loved
ones. As I recreated myself, I learned to eat better, become
more vigilant in my approach to my health, and to live a
more purpose-driven life. I put my body and my health first.
Somehow, nights out didn’t seem as relevant any longer. Drinks
and late-night binges were not all the rage. I let go of my “devil
may care” attitude and learned to make better choices. Natural
products replaced my go-to favorites. Real food became a top
priority. Living trumped everything else in my life. Scared
While I hope and pray no one, no matter their age ever
finds a lump, I know that my health scare changed my life for
the better. Scared
After several tests, many appointments, and countless hours of research, I finally had
my lumpectomy. During those agonizing weeks between lump to diagnosis to how to
treat my condition, I became very introspective and devoured information and had many
heart to heart talks with my loved ones
BY SARAH WESTER