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Babe, what’s this?

Hello my beautiful friend,

     So, this story is a little embarrassing for me to tell because it’s the story of how I found my lump and how long it took for me to get it checked out. I am hoping my story will help others in my situation make a different decision.

    I found my lump in June of 2019. I'm not sure what led me to do a breast exam. I was young, no history of breast cancer in my family, but nonetheless, I did and found a lump. I didn’t think anything of it. I thought it was just a stupid little cyst and went on with my life. As time went on, it stayed there, and I did a little research and found that women who undergo hormonal changes may get little cysts in their breasts. I had a hysterectomy in April of 2019 and have dealt with endometriosis and PCOS most of my life, so issues with my hormones was not new to me. I thought that was the reason I had a lump; nothing for me to worry about.

    My husband found my lump in October of 2019 and was immediately concerned and wanted me to get it checked out. However, my naïve self honestly didn't think there was ANYTHING wrong. It didn't hurt, it felt like a marble, smooth and hard. Obviously, there was NO WAY I had breast cancer. Besides, we were planning an incredible anniversary trip to one of my all-time favorite places in the world. In the unlikely chance I did have breast cancer I didn't want that hanging over my head during our trip.

    I know this is going to sound SUPER stupid, but part of me is glad I waited to get checked because that trip ended up being the last time, I was truly carefree. My husband and I enjoyed 6 incredible days in Disney World, and considering what we ended up facing together, between cancer and the pandemic, I am so grateful for those memories. However, in hindsight, that was unwise, because my cancer could have ended up being more advanced than it was. What if my cancer ended up being rare, and I didn't have as many treatment options? And my waiting could have cost me my life? Waiting also put my poor, sweet husband through so much stress because he was so concerned about the potential outcome. And turns out he had every reason to be concerned.

   I hope you let my experience be a cautionary tale of overconfidence and naivety. Deep down no one thinks cancer will touch them; until it does. So, if you find something that you’re not sure about, don’t convince yourself that it’s nothing. Get it checked out by a reliable doctor and have true peace of mind that it is nothing to worry about or give yourself the best chance to fight it if it’s not.

Much love,

Laryssa


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