April Addison, an oncology nurse and clinical supervisor at Northside Hospital Forsyth, felt a lump in her breast this spring while she was pregnant with her son. She spoke up to her health care team, setting in motion a series of events that upended — but saved — her life.
Her son was born June 27. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a day later.
“I felt a lump during pregnancy,” April, 32, says. “One day, out of nowhere, the lump became very painful. I was ordered to get an ultrasound and from there I was ordered to get a biopsy done.“The day after I had my son, the doctors came to the bedside to let me know that it was stage 2 breast cancer and that I would need to start chemotherapy.”
April has completed chemotherapy, but surgery and radiation await. She urges women to speak up if they notice changes in their bodies. Watch her advice for all women — especially moms-to-be and women who don’t have a family of history of breast cancer — in this video from Northside.
Watch April's story here:
Read more about breast cancer care at Northside.
*The health story shared here may portray atypical results of survival for this type of cancer, given its severity and stage. Atypical results are considered surviving a cancer that has less than a 50 percent five-year survival rate. Patients should consult an expert to discuss specific treatment plans and the possible outcomes before making medical decisions.
