It all started on my first vacation day in 2021. I woke up with plans to go swimming with some cousins and noticed a sizable lump in my right breast. Panic set in, fearing the worst.
I immediately called the breast unit to get it checked out. Despite being young and having minimal symptoms aside from the lump, there was a long wait for an appointment. The two months leading up to it felt like an eternity of worry.
At the mammogram, they found concerning signs. I was incredibly anxious awaiting my follow-up, where the doctor delivered the shocking news: triple-negative breast cancer, aggressive and spreading to my armpit but not yet elsewhere.
I was frozen, struggling to absorb what the doctor said. It wasn't until he left the room that I broke down. The first step was egg retrieval, facing the possibility of infertility. Another blow.
But I had to stay positive. The incredible staff across departments made me feel seen and safe. Family and friends were an immense support.
Facing the prospect of losing my hair was daunting. It's a significant part of feeling feminine. Wearing a wig helped me feel normal, but the anxiety of being seen without it was overwhelming.
Finally regrowing enough hair for extensions felt liberating, like reclaiming my identity. Then came three months of chemotherapy, feeling my body weaken and battling self-disgust as toxins flowed in.
Surgery followed, my first ever. The final step was radiation. I am now considered cancer-free, but the fear of relapse or another illness is always present.
During this difficult time BHBD's wig and hair extensions have been a huge help for me coping with hairloss that comes with my cancer treatment.