“I didn't believe it at first,” the mother and business owner recalled of her 2021 diagnosis
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A woman discovered a small sore on her nipple that was initially diagnosed as shingles but later revealed to be stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer
- She underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and doctors were able to remove the tumor before it spread — though treatment came with serious complications
- After learning she carries a high-risk genetic mutation, she opted for a preventive double mastectomy and now urges others to get unusual symptoms checked early
A woman went to the doctor after finding a small sore on her breast and was shocked to learn it was a symptom of an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Sarah Jane Withyman noticed the small sore on her nipple in 2021 when she was 38, but didn't think it was cause for alarm, per the Daily Mail.
“I didn't think anything of it. It was just a sore,” Withyman, who is from Newcastle, England, recalled.
She said her doctor diagnosed her with shingles, but they also recommended that she undergo a mammogram and ultrasound just to be extra cautious.
Withyman said that her doctor called her shortly after her scans and gave her devastating news: she had a tumor deep within her chest, and it was stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer, which is an aggressive subtype of the disease.
“I didn't believe it at first,” Withyman said.
“It was surreal. I had no [common] symptoms for the cancer at all,” she added, explaining that she felt no lumps or changes to her body besides the one small sore.
“It was awful. And it was all happening in the middle of COVID. It just felt like a really strange time,” Withyman said.
Credit: Getty
Withyman underwent a lumpectomy in June 2021, and surgeons removed the tumor as well as several lymph nodes. The surgery revealed that the cancer had not spread.
“It was caught early enough, which was amazing,” she said.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
However, her health struggles were not over. Withyman underwent an additional surgery to ensure all the cancer had been removed followed by four rounds of chemotherapy — one of which landed her in the hospital with a dangerously high temperature and severe migraine that left her unable to open her eyes.
“It wasn't pleasant. I wouldn't wish it on anyone,” she said.
Complications aside, Withyman, a self-employed hairdresser, said in retrospect, she is glad her diagnosis happened when it did, as the pandemic meant the rest of life was already on hold.
“For the first time in my life, I was getting paid not to work. The kids were home so I didn't have to be running around, everything slowed down, and I could just focus on getting through it,” she explained.
Withyman also underwent genetic testing which revealed she carries the PALB2 gene mutation. The gene significantly increases her risk of breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. Because of this, she opted to undergo a preventive double mastectomy in 2022.
Credit: Getty
Withyman said she got through the difficult time by “keeping moving,” often walking over a mile a day on her local beach, as well as with help from friends and loved ones.
“There were flowers, meals, people dropping things off. The support from my friends and family was incredible.”
Withyman, now 43, must still check in with her doctor every six months to ensure that the cancer has not returned.
She said that even though she is out of immediate physical danger, the emotional and mental impact of her diagnosis has not dissipated.
“Every ache, every pain, you think something's wrong. You think the cancer is back,” she explained.
Read the full article here
