There's never been any history of breast cancer in my family. Heck, I even tested negative for the gene. But, at 29, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I had just gotten married, I was loving my new job, and I was planning to go back to school to get my master's degree. Then, this happened. I cried and panicked. What was I going to do?
Luckily, I was in an area that had excellent medical care. My surgeon, oncologist, and plastic surgeon all took me under their wings and took care of me.
Chemo lasted all that summer and was extremely rough. I missed a lot of work. There were even times I wanted to give up. My husband, who was 24 at the time, wouldn't let me give up. He came to every treatment and took care of me through every step of the way.
I'm happy to say that I've been cancer-free for three years now, and I hope to stay that way. I'm doing what my doctors tell me, and I'm taking care of myself.
If you think you're too young to get breast cancer, you're wrong. Always, always keep a check on your body because early detection was what saved me.
Charleston, SC