I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 22 after GP said I was ‘too young’ to have it – The Sun
SAMANTHA Reid has had to endure countless chemotherapy sessions, a gruelling lumpectomy and IVF egg retrieval - all before turning 24.
The youngster, from Virginia, US, is currently being treated for stage 4 breast cancer - after doctors told her she was "too young" to have the disease.
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And Samantha's condition is now incurable after medics delayed her diagnosis.
Samantha, 23, is now sharing her story to raise awareness for breast cancer in young adults - and to give others in the same position as her hope.
She said: "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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Samantha, who works for a computer security company, first suspected something was wrong while she was celebrating Valentine's Day earlier this year with her boyfriend Gray, 22.
As Gray hugged her, she noticed some tenderness in her breast and as she went to check everything was okay, she noticed she had a large lump.
Samantha said: "I found the lump on Friday, February 15 after our family Valentine's Day dinner.
"My boyfriend and I were watching TV, and he started hugging me tightly. I noticed my left breast was sensitive and told him to stop squeezing so tight.
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"I didn't think anything of it until I noticed there was a pretty large, warm lump.
"I wasn't worried about it and figured it would go away on its own. I knew it was very common for young women to have a lot of cysts.
"If you just looked at the breast in the mirror, it looked identical to the other side, which is probably why I never noticed the lump before.
"I thought that if it was something serious, it would be obvious."
I didn't think anything of it until I noticed there was a pretty large, warm lump
Samantha Reid
Despite this, by the Monday morning the lump was still present so Samantha arranged a GP appointment for later that day.
The doctor told Samantha that is was likely a cyst or an infected milk duct, despite it being very unlikely as she wasn’t a breastfeeding mother.
"I was told it was probably either a cyst or an infection of the milk ducts," Samantha said.
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"The doctor told me to place a warm cloth over the lump two to three times a day.
"I was told to call her back on Friday, February 22, if there wasn’t a difference in the size of the lump because they may need to prescribe an antibiotic.
"I didn't have any reason not to believe her. She told me that type of infection mostly happened to women who were breastfeeding, but it wasn't impossible that it could happen to me.
"Near the end of the appointment she said, ‘did you come here because you were worried about cancer?’
"It sounded condescending and I didn't appreciate it at the time because I didn't go to the doctor to be made fun of."
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The washcloth made no difference, so Samantha was then prescribed amoxicillin for five days, but as the lump was still present, Samantha had an ultrasound and a biopsy.
“At the ultrasound, the radiologist came in and said he’d never seen cancer in a 22-year-old," she said.
"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.
Since all the medical professionals were talking about breast cancer like it would never happen, I pretty much ruled it out
Samantha Reid
"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.
"I sometimes wonder what would have happened if there wasn’t an appointment available that day.
"I might have left the hospital thinking everything was okay and not scheduled an appointment until things got worse."
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A few days later, Samantha received a call from the breast surgeon telling her she had breast cancer and she should come back to the hospital that day to discuss her diagnosis.
The cancer had spread to multiple lymph nodes and one of her ribs, making it stage four.
Samantha opted against a double mastectomy because a lumpectomy had a faster recovery period.
This allowed her to start radiation sooner, beginning on September 23, for 33 days - focusing on her breasts and lymph nodes, then five days for her rib.
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“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," Samantha said.
"The news didn't faze me, I kind of accepted it as a new part of my life.
"It wasn't until I realised the effect my diagnosis would have on other people that I got upset."
Following her surgery, Samantha started IVF egg retrieval and then started chemotherapy on April 5 until July 26.
She said: "I went through IVF egg retrieval which took a couple weeks, it was something I never expected to do at 22 before I was married or starting to think about kids.
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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 26 and I had some time to gain strength before my lumpectomy and lymph node removal in August.
How to check for breast cancer
Step one: Begin by looking in a mirror, facing it with your arms on your hips and your shoulders straight. You should be looking for any dimpling, puckering, bulging skin, redness, soreness, a rash or changes in the nipple.
Step two: Still looking in the mirror, raise both arms above your head and check for the same changes.
Step three: With your arms still above your head, check for any fluid coming from the nipples. This can include milky, yellow or watery fluid, or blood.
Step four: While lying down use your opposite hand to check each breast. Using a few fingers, keeping them flat and together, go in a small circular motion around your breasts. Make sure you feel the entire breast by going top to bottom in these small circles. It helps to develop a system or pattern to make sure every inch is covered. Use light pressure for the skin and tissue just beneath, medium pressure for the tissue in the middle of your breasts, and firm pressure to feel the tissue at the back, feeling down to your ribcage.
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"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."
Samantha, who is waiting to hear what the chances are she will survive the disease, admits she tries not to tell people about her stage four cancer diagnosis because she knows how they will react.
"I’d love to know what the prognosis is, but I don’t," she said.
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"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.
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"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 23-year-old."
Samantha is now crediting her friends and family for keeping her "strong" throughout her treatment.
She said: "I’m so lucky to have the family and friends I have; they’ve kept me strong throughout this journey.
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"After I got my cancer diagnosis, I realised 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."
You can follow Samantha's journey on her Instagram page here.
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