Cancer Warning Signs

I remember being totally exhausted months before my Breast Cancer diagnosis. Cancer causes an enormous strain on your body. I would take a break from work with my supervisor at the time, Nikki, and on our way back to the office, I would literally pull myself up the stairs with the help of the handrail. I would stop on the landing on our way up to the second floor and tell Nikki, "I feel so tired - fatigued - not the normal exhaustion brought on from work."

As soon as I would get home I would have to lay down for a half hour just to regain some energy.

This lasted for months before my diagnosis.

Sixteen months post-op, I can keep my energy level all day long. I still have trouble sleeping at night but I try to get rest whenever possible. It's important to keep your immune system healthy.

Extreme fatigue is a warning sign that something is wrong and should not be ignored.

Another symptom that I had was very uncomfortable itching, especially around the nipple. I kept chalking it up to 'dry skin' and would apply moisturizers. No amount of scratching would bring any kind of relief and it wasn't until after I was diagnosed that I found out itching is another red flag.