Aleseia Saunders was 32 when she felt a lump in her right breast. Being so young with no family history of breast cancer, she shrugged it off as being a cyst and went on with her life. During that same time, she found out she was pregnant with her first child.

During a trip to her OBGYN for pregnancy confirmation, she received good news that she was indeed pregnant. The doctor also did a breast exam and recommended having a biopsy done at a nearby hospital, which she did.

Her world came crashing down when she received a phone call two weeks later, 4 days before her 33rd birthday, that she had stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma. How could someone develop cancer at such a young age? Weren’t you supposed to have someone in your family who had cancer to be considered at high risk yourself?

“I was very surprised because I don’t have any family history of breast cancer,” she told AFGE of the diagnosis 11 years ago.

But that was not the worst thing that happened. In order to save her life, her doctor told her she needed to end her pregnancy so she could begin her treatment plan that involved chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal therapy.

Devastated, all she could think of was the baby and whether she was going to die. But she knew she was not going to abort the baby, and she needed to find a way to save them both. She needed a second opinion.

After doing some research and talking to many doctors, she found one who introduced her to genomic testing, a new technology called the MammaPrint test that predicts the risk of breast cancer spreading or coming back.

Turns out, her tumor was contained with a low risk of spreading. The doctor determined that she could continue her pregnancy with a lumpectomy in her second trimester. Two months after delivering her baby, she underwent 39 rounds of radiation and a hormonal therapy, Tamoxifen.

It was a tough time for her physically and mentally, but in December 2014, she was declared cancer free.

Looking back, Aleseia said she’s very proud of herself for being her own advocate and for seeking options instead of accepting the verdict handed over by her first doctor. Now she’s healthy with three kids and became an advocate for the breast cancer community. She speaks at events, including the recent annual Walk to Bust Cancer organized by her breast surgeon’s National Breast Center Foundation. She has also been giving interviews to the press as she was the first person that her breast surgeon used this kind of test on.

“I went from them not wanting me to have any children, now I have three kids,” she said. “That’s my message every time I talk: seeking other opinions and being the biggest advocate for yourself and not allowing somebody to just tell you what needs to happen. You also need to do your research and due diligence to make sure you’re informed.”

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. AFGE hopes Aleseia’s story will inspire you to take care of yourself and be your own advocate when it comes to your health.

See article via AFGE