Exactly four years ago today, I felt a bump in my left breast for the first time. Four days after that, my OBGYN squeezed me into his busy schedule and we agreed to schedule my first mammogram to be cautious. As he exited the room, we laughed and joked about my panic because “30 year olds don’t get cancer.”
The next appointment for a mammogram at any office in Amarillo, was a month away. I took it.
One week after seeing my OBGYN, I saw my primary doctor. The same bump had doubled in size and there was a small red mark that we presumed had been left by my bra. She said they would schedule a mammogram ASAP. This time, the earliest appointment at any office in Amarillo was a week after the appointment I already had. I took that one too.
One week after the appointment with my primary, I saw my OBGYN again for my yearly appointment. The red mark had developed into an itchy, bright, red rash, my skin was dry and rough, and the small bump I had found was now a very visible and solid mass. His jaw dropped. While typing furiously on his computer, he abruptly stopped to look at me. His face was white when he said, “It’s like…” and held up the wireless mouse to his computer. I nodded. He finished typing up his notes and gave me a hug on his way out. His nurse called every office in town, every single day trying to get an earlier appointment for me, but I never got one.
Two weeks after, I had my first mammogram and in that appointment, my first ultrasound.
A week after that, I had my first breast tissue biopsy.
And a week after that, I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer.
On December 7, 2022, I learned that my cancer is estrogen and progesterone negative at 0%, but it is 100% HER2 positive. When the HER2 gene mutates, the chain reaction causes the cells to grow and multiply out of control. Meaning, in my case, time is of the essence.
Along with my doctors, I called every office in Amarillo and asked if they could fit me in, if they had any cancellations, and even offered to pay out of pocket where my insurance was not accepted. And then, I started calling every office all the way to Lubbock every 2-3 days.
But what I didn’t say was:
“This is very painful, please check again.”
“This is growing quickly and I’m scared.” OR
“I have all the symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer. Please find a way to see me.”
Check yo self.
And when you know something is wrong,
Trust yo self.
Or trust me. You’d rather be a little bit assertive than diagnosed with late stage cancer.
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