Yasmin's story

A few weeks turned into a few months, it was still there. I then decided to visit my GP as maybe it was a cyst. As the GP felt the lump she immediately said ‘ok, I’m going to have to refer you for an urgent 2 week appointment at the breast clinic’ I still wasn't convinced it was anything serious, I’m never ill. 

Two days later I got a letter through my door with details of the appointment which stated ’suspected cancer’.

After a biopsy and scans I had to wait for my results, I was nervous and scared constantly searching all over the net to find someone like me going through this. I then got a phone call asking me to come in to get my results, at this point I asked if they could not just tell me over the phone to which they responded, 'sorry you have to come in and please bring someone with you' I knew then it was bad news.

Heading towards the doctors room on the 4th August with my mum and sister all I was hoping for was to hear its early and they can just remove the lump, the doctor then informed me I had stage 1 none invasive breast cancer and will need further testing to see if its spread, I was prepared but still convinced they just needed to remove the lump.

I had a mammogram that same day but as I’m too young this didn’t show anything so I had to go for a MRI instead and a further biopsy. This shown it was larger than they initially thought and was actually now invasive cancer, so my options for treatment were to start chemo and then a lumpectomy or mastectomy. I didn’t want chemo, I didn’t want to be ill, I didn’t want to look like cancer, I didn’t want to loose my hair I said to my surgeon. He advised as the lump was close to my nipple I would loose that anyway within a lumpectomy so asked what about removing the whole breast, would that mean I could avoid chemo? Potentially yes, he said, if you want to just get it all removed it is the safest option, so I said yes do it! It's just some tissue on my chest right? Ok, he said we will book you in on the 13th September, any questions he added? I replied, can I please go to Las Vegas next week that’s been booked for months please with my friends?, he replied sure thing just go and enjoy yourself! 

13th September arrived and I went in for the surgery, waking up seeing a drain and bandages on my chest, it was done. I was discharged the next day and after 2 days had my drains removed. 5 days later it was time to remove my bandages.

A few weeks went by and on the 13th October I went for my final results on if they managed to remove it all and if adjuvant chemo would be needed, My results were clear and I didn’t need any chemo! 

From that point the oncologist advised I would need hormone medication for 5 years as a preventative so then they referred me to have my eggs frozen as it could cause complications in the future should I wish to have a child. 

I was also tested for the BRCA gene as I had no history of cancer in the family but luckily that came back negative which meant I could safely keep my left breast. 

I am now on a waiting list for reconstruction and hope to have this done next year and also on hormone medication that puts my body into early menopause but I’m coping well with the side effects. 

I was given a prosthetic boob which at first seemed strange but now its normal, I stuff it in my bra and bikinis and no one can tell! 

Now I focus on raising awareness amongst younger women as I struggled to find someone I could relate too at the time so I feel its important that I use my journey to offer support to any other women going through the same diagnosis. Find out more about my story on my Instagram account.