Young breast cancer survivor: Listen to your body

Simple moments, such as going to the store with her kids, make Melissa Campos realize how blessed she truly is.

The 35-year-old mother of two is a breast cancer survivor.

“There are so many little things we complain about,” Campos said. “But, I’m like, no. I’m so happy I’m still here.”

In a way, Campos credits her survival to her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis just months before.

Once her mother received her diagnosis, Campos took notice of a symptom that she hadn’t really paid attention to – a burning sensation in her breast. She had gotten a clear mammogram, so thought she was fine. Given the circumstances with her mother, she thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

A cancer diagnosis

She called her primary care provider and got a referral to the TMC High Risk Breast Clinic.

Karen Narum, nurse practitioner at the clinic, sent Campos for a 3D mammogram, which also came back normal. But with the Campos’ risk factors, Narum kept going.

“She said ‘I’m not gonna be satisfied until you get an MRI and if it comes back negative we’ll have more reassurance,” Campos recalled. “Sure enough I did the MRI and she called me back in for a biopsy. It was cancer.”

A difficult decision

When her surgeon, Dr. Ley, performed a lumpectomy, she found another spot of cancer. That’s when Campos made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy.

“Dr. Ley went back in to remove some lymph nodes and to check the margins to make sure it was clear, but by that time I had already decided I’d rather do the mastectomy because I was scared,” she said. “I didn’t want to risk it. My son was in first grade and my daughter was going into high school. I couldn’t risk it.”

Finding support

She struggled with her cancer diagnosis and the mastectomy at first, but finding people she could talk to helped her feel understood and less alone.

“It was hard,” she said. “I would cry all the time. I was young and never thought this could happen to me. I couldn’t even talk about it because my mom had also been diagnosed, but I realized I needed to speak to someone to feel that I was understood. I had to realize it’s ok to feel scared and mad and sad and everything in between and there’s no right or wrong way to deal with it. It’s important to find someone to reach out to.”

That support came from a coworker, her husband, her daughter and breast cancer support groups.

Life lessons

She and her mother have both fully recovered from cancer. Campos feels great, and she learned a thing or two through the experience.

“It’s very important to listen to your body,” she said. “Even if you’re young and healthy and don’t fit the profile of a breast cancer patient. If you have doubts, find a provider that you trust and will advocate for you.”

“Cancer doesn’t discriminate,” Narum said. “So if you feel that something is off, please get it checked out. If you don’t feel that your concerns are being addressed, advocate for yourself. It’s ok to get a second opinion.”

Now Campos is working and going to school with the goal of getting into cancer research.

She wants to help younger women who are facing a mastectomy with this message: “You are gonna grieve it and that’s ok. But you are still you. You can still look your best and feel your best, even on days you don’t think you can. Live healthy and do things for yourself, whether it’s working out or getting your hair done.”

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If you have feel something is not right with your breasts, ask your doctor about a referral to the High Risk Breast Clinic.