10th of July 2022

Time to answer a burning question!

First of all, I’m really glad that most of you have ask me “how did you find out?”, because it gives me a chance to say this: I got lucky!

I had no lump, no inverted nipple, no bleeding, nothing of the symptoms that they usually associate with breast cancer. My blood work was fine and let me point out that due to having pregnancy diabetes, copper toxicity from the IUD in 2017 and a burnout, I have been monitored closely for the last 5 years, there was NOTHING to point to anything being wrong.

Except this: overnight my right areola (pink skin around the nipple) kind of turned yellow/white. No pain, no bump, just felt a little harder than usual, as if I had an infection or something was blocked. But again, no pain. My doctor didn’t waste time and I was scheduled the same week for a mammogram, ultrasound and a last minute biopsy on the actual areola (do not recommend!). All came back clear within a week. They suspected mastitis, but thankfully this doctor wanted to check up on me again and urged me to call if anything changed. A couple of weeks later I felt what I thought was a swollen glan in my armpit. Got the appointment for the next day and by that time, of course, the swollen glan was gone. But the doctor ordered an MRI for for the next day anyway.

So, Friday, 10th of June after the MRI, I got on my bike and not 5 minutes after, I got a call from the radiologist asking me to come back. Martien came along and they squeezed us in between appointments and he broke the news to us: we are looking at inflammatory breast cancer and we will do the biopsy to confirm it.

The sneaky tumors are deep, close to the chest wall and in the axillary lymph nodes. In other words, I had to lie sideways, MRI image on one screen for doctor to see where to point the ultrasound scan doodle and with his other hand and assistant to maneuver the puncture needle to take not one, not 2, but 6 samples from 3 different tumors (absolutely do not recommend!!!).

He walked with us after that to the surgery, where we were told we would get appointments for CT and PET scans so we could get a picture of metastasis (how much it has spread).

And the rest you know. I started chemo on the 5th of July, which is super fast all considering (within 3 weeks) and every week I have talks and check ups and more scans are being planned.

I am lucky because no one wasted time, no one said: “let’s wait”, but said “let’s be sure!”. I’m lucky because it was obvious that the radiologists and oncologists who saw me had seen this before and acted immediately! I am lucky because my GP pushed for an appointment with the hospital the minute I first came to him with my colourless areola.

So I urge you all, no matter what you identify as, as long as you have nipples, check them!!! Check everything! Embrace the hypochondriac in you and set them free!

And enjoy Martien trying to help me get through my mane of hair, to shave it off last weekend. He actually had to stop and bring the vacuum to use it ON my head and then continue shaving!😂

Have a lovely week!!!❤️