Woman, 24, who found a lump in her breast while getting ready for a night out was dismissed doctors who said she was 'too young' for cancer - until she demanded a scan that revealed a tumor

May 13, 2019  13:26

After finding a lump in her breast in January 2018, Alexandria Whitaker did what we're all told to do: go to your doctor.

But that simple step somehow became complicated.

Then-24-year-old Alexandria, of Orlando, Florida, was brushed off.

It can't be anything sinister, her doctor said, because you're 24.

For that reason, the doctor explained, there was no point addressing her concerns.

While most of us are usually inclined to accept a doctor's verdict, trust in the medical profession has fallen dramatically in recent years, and Alexandria found herself to be among the skeptics.

She pushed for a scan, which revealed a mass, prompting a biopsy, which revealed stage 1 triple positive breast cancer - in other words, driven by all three of her breast hormones - in February 2018.

'I wasn't even looking for a lump when I found it,' Alexandria said.

She was getting ready to go out with her friends, and she put on an adhesive bra.

It was while smoothing it on that she felt the lump, very clearly, and knew that it wasn't normal for her body.

'I didn't think too much of it that night,' Alexandria, a PR, said, 'I was ready to have a good night, but thankfully I remembered it the next morning.'

One of her best friends, who is a doctor, felt it, and agreed it felt solid, but neither were too concerned. Alexandria was so young - breast cancer is most common in women over 55 - and she had no family history. But they agreed that she should get it checked out.

Her doctor's abrupt dismissal took her aback.

'It made me feel pretty upset. I knew that this wasn't something normal for my body and the doctor was dismissing me based on feeling alone. I'm no medical professional, but you can't know what's going on inside someone's body without doing some sort of test. Physical touch isn't going to tell you much,' Alexandria said.

She pushed for testing, not sure what kind of tests she would need but certain she needed something more than a hunch.

Her first screening was an ultrasound, and going in she was told they wouldn't be doing a mammogram after.

That changed when the technician saw a clear mass on the screen.

The mammogram showed a shadow, and the technician ordered a biopsy, which Alexandria describes as 'one of the most painful procedures of this whole experience'. 'They didn't numb me and there was a long needle inserted into my breast. My whole right breast was bruised for weeks after,' she said.

That physical pain was followed by an emotional blow, delivered over the phone while she was in the car at 80 miles an hour.

She was moving house, and her doctor called.

Naturally intrigued, Alexandria picked up. Due to HIPAA laws, which protect patient privacy, doctors rarely ever deliver sensitive information over the phone. But this case was an exception.

'I still think it's insane that's how she told me,' Alexandria said. 'I was devastated and scared. I immediately burst into tears and called my mum, dad and fiancé, then my closest friends. I wanted them to know as soon as I did, and I'm so blessed to have an incredibly strong and fiercely loyal support team with me.'

'Treatment affected me physically of course, like losing my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, feeling weak, nausea and exhaustion, but there were also emotional aspects that linger and can't be seen.

'I started losing my hair about two weeks after my first infusion, which was really surprising. It still makes me sad because I was one of those girls who loved their hair and losing it felt like losing part of my identity.'

In March this year, she had her final chemo infusion.

Now, she is still on Letrozole, a daily pill to regulate her hormone levels.

Despite the journey, Alexandria has learned to love her body more than she ever did before her diagnosis because it has fought so much to get her where she is today.

'A lot of the time when I think back on the past year it feels like a bad dream. I'm so grateful for family and friends who were with me and I'm grateful for doctors who are relentless in their pursuit of giving me the best treatments possible.

'Instagram, YouTube and my blog have enabled me to help other people. It gives me purpose, a reason to keep going on dark days and to find the silver linings in this whole experience.

'For other cancer warriors, I hope I can be a resource, a friend and a source of inspiration. For everyone else who hears my story, I hope I can inspire them to live their lives fully and to take control of their health.'

Source: The Daily Mail

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