In March, 27-year-old Alanna Vizzoni learned she hadbreast cancer.
Now, Vizzoni is chronicling her experience onTikTokto share information about early signs with other young people.
Heres her story, as told to writer Alexis Berger.
Alanna Vizzoni
Im 27 years old, and I never thought to do a breast self-exam.
I was nowhere near as freaked out.
My first stop was Google, which told me my blueberry might be hormonal or related to my period.
I also knew that my mom has fibroadenomas (noncancerous breast lumps)she even calls herself lumpy.
Cancer, on the other hand, made no sense to me at all.
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To placate him, I made an appointment for a breast exam the day before Thanksgiving.
She suggested I get checked out at my leisureperhaps after the holidays.
For the remainder of 2023, I went about my life normally.
But by mid-January, the lump had become bigger and firmersimilar to a grape in its size and feel.
All at once, the lump was on my mind around the clock.
I got an ultrasound appointment for the week of Valentines Day.
The radiologist found the lump suspicious, so I got it biopsied.
On March 1, I got the worst call of my life.
My radiologist informed me I had a cancerous tumor.
What was especially traumatic about it was that the call came at the very end of a Friday.
I dont remember exactly what was said, but all I took away was, You have cancer.
Well be in touch next week, without any other context.
I went through that whole weekend convinced I was dying.
My childhood best friend, Becca, came too.
Mikes mother was also about to start radiation for stage 0 breast cancer.
Still, I believed theyd be fine: They had information.
I was in the dark, and terrified.
On Monday, a nurse navigator called with an action plan, which made me feelwaybetter.
She booked me an appointment with a nearby hospitals chief of breast surgery,M.
Michele Blackwood, MD, for the following day.
If my lymph nodeswerecancer-free, Id be cleared to skipchemotherapy.
I had my lumpectomy on March 14, and it was technically a success.
At this point, it also really hit me that I was sick.
The physical part has been a lot to process tooand easy to resent.
I loved my body before.
Now, the lumpectomy incisions that Im healing from are intense.
I truly believe Ill be okaybut I want to feel like I did a month ago.
I was going to go to Italy this summer (and possibly getting engaged there).
I was focused on my family, friends, and my job.
As I heal, Im also going through the egg freezing process.
Its unpredictable how long temporary really means, so freezing my eggs is an insurance plan.
My insurance doesn’t cover egg freezingeven for cancer patients.
But its frustrating, because I wouldnt have undergone this procedure if I didnt have cancer.
Its hard to process.
The timeline isnt fully seteach step forward depends on how the one before it goes.
Im sure Ill learn a lot more about myself as it all unfolds.
Now, I hope people reading this understand that age is just one factor in your health.
