On 2nd December 2015 I was diagnosed with stage 2A, grade 3 Breast Cancer.
My family and friends were very upset as it was completely not expected, especially as we were originally told that it was nothing and no cause for concern. My fiancé has been distraught and my mum and dad are very upset. My friends have been so sad and are constantly in contact.
I was only 1.5 months in to my new job in London when I had my diagnosis. I was studying for my CIPD HR Management level 5 degree in the evenings too. I was recently engaged, and my fiancé and I has planned to go to Iceland in March 2015. We were planning on getting a mortgage in 2016, and hoping to get married in March/April 2017.
It was initially hard to tell the story over and over but I didn’t feel like I was talking about myself. I still haven’t really processed this is happening to me and I don’t feel this is real and they have it wrong.
My family and friends were very upset as it was completely not expected, especially as we were originally told that it was nothing and no cause for concern. My fiancé has been distraught and my mum and dad are very upset. My friends have been so sad and are constantly in contact.
I was only 1.5 months in to my new job in London when I had my diagnosis. I was studying for my CIPD HR Management level 5 degree in the evenings too. I was recently engaged, and my fiancé and I has planned to go to Iceland in March 2015. We were planning on getting a mortgage in 2016, and hoping to get married in March/April 2017.
It was initially hard to tell the story over and over but I didn’t feel like I was talking about myself. I still haven’t really processed this is happening to me and I don’t feel this is real and they have it wrong.
I had a right side mastectomy at the start of the year, and I have just begun my chemotherapy treatment. At the end of the year I will have a DIEP reconstruction and eventually a possible second mastectomy.
Despite going through such a difficult time, Anita says;
I am so motivated to become ‘me’ again. To be that happy, go easy person who is grateful and loves seeing others happy. I have learnt to live every day and enjoy each moment.
I am only at the start of my journey but I hope to attend more Teens Unite events so I have something to look forward too. It is lovely to see that they are there to help young people have things to look forward to rather than hospital appointment after hospital appointment.
They help me make friendships with people in similar situations and help me feel ‘normal’ again rather than the person with cancer. I hope that other’s going through similar situations find Teens Unite, as they are a charity that gives them hope, support and things to look forward too. They help people to feel how they want to feel rather that how people expect them to feel. That they can speak to people, young people, who have fought cancer and see the positive outcomes.
Teens Unite are a charity who understand and don’t treat you as just another cancer patient, they treat you as a unique ‘normal’ young person who needs some positivity and cheering up so they create fun filled days and a wide network of support.
“From sharing my story I hope to raise awareness. I am 24, I have no family history of breast cancer and I ignored my lump for 2/3 weeks. The doctors, consultant and even radiologist said it was nothing sinister and is likely fatty tissue of dead blood cells. No one thought it was cancer, when the biopsy confirmed it, even the specialists were shocked. Just because you are young, have no history and think it surely couldn’t be you, but it could.”
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