21-Year-Old College Swimmer Experienced Migraines & Nausea. It Turned Out To Be Stage 3 Breast Cancer— Coping With Anxiety Following a Diagnosis

Speaking to People in a recent interview, Reynold recounted how her diagnosis came as an incredible shock, adding that although she has beaten the disease and is continuing maintenance therapy, she’s still coping with the emotional aspect of having battled cancer at such a young age.

RELATED: What is Stage Three Breast Cancer?

Reynolds, was at the beginning of her senior year at Hope College in Michigan and ready for another year of competitive swimming, when her symptoms of migraines and nausea began.

Looking back to when she got her her symptoms checked, she informed her doctor that she also noticed a lump in her right breast, prompting her doctor to order her a mammogram out of precaution. However, she ended up getting an ultrasound of her breasts instead, as the place she went for a mammogram said she was too young to get it done.

She was ultimately diagnosed with Stage 3B invasive ductal carcinoma on September 14, 2020, following a biopsy that was taken.

Reynold’s explained, It’s just a whirlwind, trying to figure out, ‘Okay, am I going to get treatment in Michigan? Am I going to go home to Pennsylvania for treatment? Am I going to have to put undergrad on hold? Am I going to have to put PT school on hold? Things moved really fast, but it felt really slow. I felt like every hour was just crawling by.”

Days later she went home to Pennsylvania to begin treatment, which included eight rounds of chemo, following by a double mastectomy five months later and 25 rounds of radiation between March and April 2021, as per People.

Reynolds, who had to stop swimming while she was undergoing radiation therapy, still was able to complete the end of her senior year at college, which she was happy about.

However, in July 2021, she had expanders removed and blast implants put in, before moving to North Carolina to begin graduate school at Duke University for a career in physical therapy.

Despite becoming a cancer survivor, Reynolds admited, ” I really struggled with health anxiety, and I kind of developed a distrust of my body. I didn’t have any reason that could explain why I got breast cancer. I was young, I was kind of a health nut and an athlete.

“No history of breast cancer in my family or anything, so there was no real reason for it. I didn’t understand how that could have happened, and so I didn’t trust that something like that wouldn’t happen to me again.”

She continued, “I have been in and out of therapy, talking with therapists for almost two years now about learning to not freak out over every single little ache and pain.

“I feel like that was the hardest part for me: Moving on and learning to trust my body and go back to living my life, not in this state of fear of the worst-case scenario happening.”

Reynolds also praises her parents for helping her along her cancer journey, adding, “They were the ones that were asking the questions. They were the ones that were making sure that I had the medications I needed.

“They talked with my oncologist. I was there and listening and got to express what I wanted and what I needed, but they took the reins so I was able to just focus on taking care of myself. And they also focused on taking care of me.”

Her journey has made her “very passionate” for breast cancer awareness among young women and altered her way of thinking.

She concluded, “I feel like cancer created this mindset change to where, though I still get anxious and worry about things, I try my best to really focus on enjoying every day and trying to keep a positive mindset no matter what happens.”

What to Know About Screening For Breast Cancer

The medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.

For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.

Women who have a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.

 

Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.

Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.

Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:

• Older age
• Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
• Added exposure to estrogen
• Having children after the age of 30
• Exposure to radiation early in life
• Family history of the disease

Is Genetic Testing Right for You?

Different types of genetic testing can help people with a family history of cancer better ascertain their cancer risks. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of your type of tumor and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.

The second test involves the genetic sequencing of your tumor if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer by this point. These genetic changes can be inherited, but most arise during a person’s lifetime. This process usually involves examining a biopsy or surgical specimen of your tumor. This testing can lead to decisions on drugs that might work against your cancer

About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.

“We encourage only those who have a family history to really get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg previously told SurvivorNet.

“I would say that if you have anyone in your family who was diagnosed with a very rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome,” Dr. Ginsburg adds.

The Power of Positive Psychology

Positive psychology is an approach to mental wellbeing that focuses more on a person’s strengths and how they can help themselves rather than just trying to curb individual symptoms and/or diagnose a disorder. It can be a massive help for people dealing with the mental anguish of going through a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

“It is a fundamentally sort of different way of thinking about patients, thinking about their experience,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, previously told SurvivorNet.

“It’s not just focusing on what’s the matter. It’s also asking them, what matters to you?”

Dr. Boardman noted that positive psychology is a reimagined approach to dealing with mental struggles. “Making people feel less bad is not the same as making them feel good,” she said, referring to how this new approach encourages people to try to find happiness rather than just try to stop sadness. This approach can be massively beneficial to people who are dealing with an illness like cancer, because it focuses on finding those great parts of life.

Managing Your Mental Health in the Face of a Health Challenge or Major Life Change

It’s only natural for health challenges to have some sort of effect on one’s mental health. It’s important to note that the diagnosis of a cancer or disease or some external stressor can offset your mental health in ways you don’t expect.

The National Institute of Mental Health advises people to seek professional help if experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:

• Trouble sleeping
• Changes in appetite
• Struggling to leave bed in the morning because of mood
• Trouble concentrating
• Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy
• Inability to perform normal daily functions and responsibilities

How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term

Equally as important is recognizing the value of self-care. Some basic tips to take better care of yourself and improve mental health, beyond seeking professional help when necessary, include:

• Regularly exercising
• Eating healthy, regular meals
• Staying hydrated
• Prioritizing sleep
• Exploring relaxation programs or techniques
• Setting goals/priorities
• Staying positive
• Connecting with others

Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin also shared some simple tips to help you maintain good mental health and reduce stress amid adversity.

When it comes to dealing with anxiety, Dr. Strongin says it’s important to have a healthy relationship with your anxiety and get to know it rather than fear it, avoid it, or push it away

Coping with Intense Feelings

Dr. Strongin explained, “By learning more about your anxious thoughts and tendencies, one can begin to answer their anxious thoughts even in moments when there aren’t any answers. For cancer patients, the worry thoughts tend to be, ‘Will I survive?’

“It’s important to let those thoughts come in and really be able to tolerate them before answering them. This is a very powerful coping skill.”

Dr. Strongin suggests medications to help with anxiety and depression if other approaches are not as effective. She also urges cancer warriors to explore telemedicine.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you are coping with feelings of anxiety and depression, consider asking your doctor the following questions:

• Are there interventions beyond medication for my depressed or anxious feelings?
• How can I go about finding and nourishing these positive emotions?
• What can I do if I’m struggling to maintain a sense of positivity?
• What lifestyle factors can I adjust to feel better mentally?

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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