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“I did not have any reason not to believe her. She told me that type of infection mostly happened to women who were breastfeeding, but it was impossible that it could happen to me.”
Samantha added: “Near the end of the appointment she said, ‘did you come here because you were worried about cancer?’ It sounded condescending and I did not appreciate it at the time because I did go to the doctor to be made fun of.
“After the washcloth didn ‘t work, I was prescribed amoxicillin. Obviously, amoxicillin doesn’t cure cancer either, so after five days of that, my doctor scheduled me for an ultrasound.
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“At the ultrasound, the radiologist came in and said he’d never seen cancer in a – year-old. Breast cancer was already one of the last things on my mind, but since all the medical professionals were talking about it like it would never happen, I pretty much ruled it out.
“I think doctors see so many patients and they can be blinded by statistics instead of looking at each case individually. They were all focused on the fact that it was so unlikely for me to have breast cancer at my age that they kind of brushed it off as something not to worry about. But I am an individual, somebody has to be that one in a million.
“The radiologist told me I could make an appointment for a biopsy to get more information . I decided to try for an appointment that day since I was already there.
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“I sometimes wonder what would have happened if there was an appointment available that day. I might have left the hospital thinking everything was ok and not scheduled an appointment until things got worse.”
Samantha opted against a double mastectomy because a lumpectomy had a faster recovery period, allowing her to start radiation sooner, beginning on September (****************************************************************************************, for 90 days focused on her breasts and lymph nodes, then five days for her rib.
She said: “The initial diagnosis was from the breast surgeon and she couldn’t give me many details over the phone until I came into the hospital later that day. The news did not faze me, I kind of accepted it as a new part of my life. It was not until I realized the effect my diagnos is would have on other people that I got upset.
“I went through IVF egg retrieval which took a couple weeks, it was something I never expected to do at 33 before I was married or starting to think about kids.
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Chemotherapy left Samantha experiencing nose bleeds(Image: MDWFeatures / Samantha Reid)
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“Chemotherapy was rough. I would sleep all day, wake up and still be tired. It felt like I was in a dream. Some other side effects were nausea, dizziness, hot flashes, nose bleeds, neuropathy, and so much more.
“My hair began falling out two weeks after my first treatment, so I decided to get a buzz cut and a few weeks later, I shaved it completely.
“My last chemo was July and I had some time to gain strength before my lumpectomy and lymph node removal in August.
“Radiation was easier than chemotherapy, I had some fatigue and redness on the areas they were treating.
“It’s like getting a sunburn, but you don’t get to go back inside and let yourself heal, you keep going back into the sun and getting burnt on the exact same spot.
“I’d love to know what the prognosis is, but I don’t. We’re going for a cure, but since I was stage four it’s less likely. So far things are encouraging and I’m hoping my February scans are clear.
“The most common reaction I get is, ‘I’m so sorry. You ‘re too young to be dealing with cancer.’ This statement confused me at first as I’m not the only young person to have cancer. Children much younger than me are fighting cancer too.
“I certainly feel like I can handle the treatment, but, that’s not what people mean. They mean I’m too young to have the mindset that comes with cancer.
“For example, instead of thinking that I’m young and have plenty of time , I find myself thinking that I don’t know how much longer I have to feel healthy. That’s not a normal mindset for a 33 – year-old.
“I’m so lucky to have the family and friends I have; they’ve kept me strong throughout this journey.
“After I got my cancer diagnosis, I realized there were a lot of things I used to worry about that didn ‘t matter. I learned it was important to take time for myself and to be selfish sometimes.
“Cancer taught me a lesson on empathy and judging. It made me realise that I can try to understand what another person is going through, but I won’t ever know their full story and so it’s never my place to judge them. “
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