I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time 17 years ago. I worked as an advocate as much as possible, learning as much as I possibly could, and this was the first time I was even made aware of it.
I was diagnosed again with breast cancer at 35 years old, with a different form of the disease, a much more aggressive form, and I'm very fortunate to be approaching a five-year cancer-free mark myself. This was the first time I had heard that my extremely dense breast tissue was what made me so at risk of getting breast cancer twice at such a young age. It shocked me, because I was so informed, and this was the first I had heard of it.