I am Fiona, a breast cancer survivor.
I was young, healthy, and had no indication that anything was wrong. It was only through a routine company checkup that the cancer was found, turning my world upside down. But through it all, I've learned how important it is to live healthily.
Honestly, I had no symptoms whatsoever. That's why discovering I had breast cancer came as such a shock. I went for a full body check-up because it was sponsored by my company, and that's how they found it — stage 0 breast cancer. It was an unintended discovery.
My first reaction was surprise, a big dose of "how can this be happening?" I felt confused. I've always been healthy, and even though the doctors said my 5-year survival rate was 95%, the word "cancer" still carried a lot of weight.
Since it was stage 0 and they caught it so early, I didn't feel the need to make any drastic lifestyle changes before starting treatment. Maybe that was me being in denial a little bit, but it felt important to keep things as normal as possible.
I moved quickly into treatment. My doctors were great. They recommended breast-conserving surgery followed by a round of medication. It was called a lumpectomy, and the goal was to remove the tumor while preserving my breast.
I trusted my doctors entirely. There was so much happening, so much to process — this felt like the easiest decision of the whole ordeal. After deciding to go ahead with the lumpectomy, I felt happy, relieved, motivated, and hopeful.
I've become so much closer to my parents. Before cancer, I would text/call them maybe a few times a week. I'd visit occasionally too. But that's changed. Now, we talk nearly every day, and I try to see them as much as possible. It feels wonderful to have them in my life this way.
For the future, I've got plans on two fronts. First, we want to spend more time together as a family and plan a trip to Europe . It's a dream we've all shared for a long time, and now it feels all the more important than ever to make it happen. I plan to stay healthy and monitor my health.
But my biggest aspiration, the one deep down? It's simple. I want to get married someday and have children. Cancer has definitely focused my mind on this.
Of course, I want the best for my family and friends, too, especially that they don't worry about me. We all love each other, and my goal is to maintain good relationships with my family and friends. I know that will be a huge part of my strength going forward.
Worry was always there, a nagging thought in the back of my mind. I couldn't help but think about the possibility of the cancer getting worse. I try not to dwell on it, just live my life like normal as much as I can. I get strength from this experience and be thankful.
The fear lingers, but it doesn't control me anymore. I feel more optimistic. Above all, I'm grateful to still be here.
Go for health check-ups regularly, even if you are young. Cancer can be treated, especially if you discover at early stages.
This patient's story is published and shared with their full consent. Any personal data that can be used to identify the patient has been omitted.
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