Ashley Norris

I was diagnosed with Grade 3 Invasive ductal carcinoma and insitu carcinoma.

The realization of not just one but two types of breast cancers at the age of 36.

I am sitting in the car with my mom reading “invasive” “grade 3” “carcinoma”, WHAT?! I am holding it together but slowly the tears start rolling down, I’m scared, I dont have my husband with me and I am reading more. These words I have never seen, the more aggressive form of breast cancer, meaning it spreads and grows more quickly, meaning this cancer has already spread, How did this happen?

I am 36years old. Im healthy, not a drinker or smoker, Former professional NFL and NBA cheerleader. My husband keeps us healthy, we have three kids. Toby and Tedy they are only 7 and 5, we have their dance recital in a month. Rogan is only 4 and I have to be at their school in 30 minutes for a mothers day event. My husbands 35th birthday is tomorrow, our 10 year anniversary is in 2 weeks….. wait isn’t this an “old ladies disease?” I cant even get a mammogram until im 40 years old?

Rewind to 3 weeks prior, I was watching YouTube, a girl came out to say that she has breast cancer, she felt a lump and had it checked. That night while showering I did my first self check and right away I found a lump. I instantly knew this is cancer, because why did this video pop up on my “for you page” if it wasn’t cancer.

I call the OBGYN on Monday morning, I was told it would be 3 months until I could get in, I pushed and got in the next day. While there the doctor said “it is probably nothing to be nervous about you are young we will schedule a mammogram in 2 months is the next available”, again I pushed. One week later Dan is with me I am getting my first mammogram and I was told I will be undergoing a breast cancer battle.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Worldwide there were about 2.3 million new cases and 670,000 deaths each year. In the US alone 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Each year, about 297,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected in US women, Based on 2025 studies out of American Cancer Society. But you know what breast cancer predominantly affects woman over the age of 50, with the median age of 63 years, I fall into the 2% of cases.
Early detection needs to be changed, how long would I have lived to teach and watch my children grow if I would have waited until I was 40? I don’t think I would have.