She was 30 when she first started getting mammograms, relatively young but she had dense breasts, which makes any cancer more difficult to find. Plus, breast cancer ran in her family.
And now Sylvia is a survivor. She was diagnosed in 2013, and thanks to a routine breast exam. “My gynecologist felt something strange,” she said. So she went for a mammogram in Washington DC, where she lives and runs a fashion and lifestyle blog called Simply Sylvia.
The mammogram came back negative. Nonetheless, her doctor suggested a second look. This time the test showed the classic “speckles” that meant she had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), the earliest possible stage. She initially had a lumpectomy, but six months later another mammogram revealed more speckles.
“It made sense then to just do a double mastectomy,” she said. At that point, her cancer had progressed to Stage 1 but, thankfully, the mastectomy showed it had not spread to her lymph nodes. Because her cancer was diagnosed so early, she didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation. And because she was already in such good physical shape thanks to a very active life (including lots of indoor cycling, resistance training, and yoga) she was back in the gym 10 days after doctors removed the drainage tubes from her mastectomy.
Nonetheless, the experience was extremely stressful, she said. It was difficult to talk to her husband about it and she didn’t want to tell her kids. “I’m a very private person,” she said, so she wasn’t interested in joining a support group, nor did she tell many people, not even her best friend.
“You mention the ‘C’ word and get strange reactions,” she said. “Not only that, but most of the time people come back with horror stories and then the wheels start turning in your head.”
Still, she said, “I was pretty lucky.” And now “it’s as if it never happened.”
Her advice to other women: “If you get a diagnosis, don’t dwell on it. Try to do your best to take care of it as quickly as possible. And make sure you have the best doctors, ones you can trust who make you feel safe and cared for.”
She urges women to think about their health in a holistic way and to get regular checkups – including mammograms. “Good physical health is crucial for your recovery.”
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