Aliya
“How My Apple Watch Saved My Life”
Aliya
“Hello, Aliya? We found a little cancer.” On January 21, 2020, those were the words I heard over the phone from my nurse practitioner after having an abnormal mammogram and biopsy. Because I was already preparing to have preventative bilateral mastectomies, I didn’t think I would ever hear those words. But I was wrong.
Exactly one year earlier, I was informed by my gynecologist that I carried the BRCA2 gene mutation after undergoing genetic testing due to family history. I can remember my gynecologist giving me that news in her office behind closed doors and sounding sad—as if I was going to die. As she explained what being BRCA2 positive meant and my options, I was so relieved because although I still didn’t fully understand what she meant, it didn’t sound like I was going to die! I remember leaving her office thinking to myself, “she’s acting like she just told me I’m going to die!” What I later realized was her voice was sad because she understood what my test results meant. It meant the likelihood of me NOT developing breast cancer was 13%. But I had options: Option A – diagnostic mammograms every 6 months for the rest of my life, or Option B – bilateral mastectomies. Say what? At that time, I decided I could live with Option A.
Four months before my diagnosis, in September 2019, my husband bought me an Apple watch for my birthday, and I had the weirdest experience. After about a month of wearing the watch, I began to feel pain running up my arm to my left breast. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. The first time I felt this pain I was at sitting at my desk at work. I felt an electrical shock-like pain go from the tips of my fingers, up my left arm, and then to the left side of my breast. I remember being puzzled and thinking to myself, “Wow! What in the hell was that?”
“In the back of my mind, I started thinking about my BRCA status and the possibility of the pain being breast cancer.”
As the weeks went by it happened more frequently—and only when I had the watch on. I eventually took the watch off, but noticed the area on my left breast where I felt the pain was itchy and hard. Although I knew the signs of breast cancer, I was still blaming my new Apple watch. I asked every person I knew who had one if they had ever experienced this type of pain. I even googled for answers. The response was always “no” or “not found.” In the back of my mind, I started thinking about my BRCA status and the possibility of the pain being breast cancer. I knew I needed to get back to my breast surgeon’s office to go ahead and plan for the preventative mastectomies, but my mind was racing. Is it the watch or something else?
Back to the call.
For a moment, I hesitated in confusion and said to her, “Wait, whhaaaat…cancer?” And what is a “little cancer?” Big or small, I didn’t want it. Never in a million years did I expect to hear those words, but to be honest, deep down inside I wasn’t surprised. I was silent as she explained the next steps. “Yes, I’m sorry. We weren’t expecting this. It’s Stage 1, Triple Negative. We need to see you in the office as soon as possible. Triple Negative is aggressive—can you come in tomorrow?” The appointment was set, and I was advised not to google anything. But of course, I did.
When I hung up the phone, I immediately called my mom and told her the news. My mom’s response was so energetic and positive you’d have thought I told her I was pregnant! Her optimistic response and positive energy didn’t give me time to be sad. I finished the call with her and then called my daughter in the room to break the news to her. She responded with a smile. “Oh wow, Stage 1 is good mom! It’s early. Listen, you’re not going to die.” Now how could I be sad with that response? Finally, my husband came through the door on his lunch break. I had sent him a text after speaking with the doctor asking if he’d come home for lunch. I didn’t want to break the news to him over the phone. I needed to see and feel his response. I wanted to be there to hold him in case he broke down. I needed him to hold me in case I broke down. I wanted him to feel my strength and see that I was okay, but I needed him and his strength. I needed the energy of our love to hold us together when I shared the news with him.
“Hey babe. The doctor called and said I have breast cancer.” I said it matter-of-factly, without any emotion. I was trying to be strong as if I had it together. He looked at me for a moment and said, “Okay.” Our daughter was standing there with a smile on her face, just watching us. She always keeps us grounded with her smile. He continued, “Okay, we just got to do what we got to do.” There it was—the strength, energy, and love that I needed. The assurance I received from my family set the tone for the journey I was about to take with optimism, positivity, fortitude and faith.
Since that day in January, I had a double mastectomy and just finished chemotherapy on my 44th birthday. I’m sharing my story because through my own experience, I’ve learned that black women in the U.S. are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer. A higher proportion of black women present with more advanced breast cancers at the time of their diagnosis (almost four times those of white women), limiting treatment options. We really don’t talk about cancer. Our families don’t talk about our family medical history until our folks are dead and gone, and even then, no one really knows the facts because we act ashamed. We need to know how to answer those medical questionnaires at the doctor’s office so we can TIMELY receive resources like early screenings and genetic testing. Don’t wait until you are 40 to have your breasts checked if you have a family history or feel something going on with your breasts. Not everyone will be so lucky as me to have their Apple watch save their life!
“How My Apple Watch Saved My Life”
Aliya
“Hello, Aliya? We found a little cancer.” On January 21, 2020, those were the words I heard over the phone from my nurse practitioner after having an abnormal mammogram and biopsy. Because I was already preparing to have preventative bilateral mastectomies, I didn’t think I would ever hear those words. But I was wrong.
Exactly one year earlier, I was informed by my gynecologist that I carried the BRCA2 gene mutation after undergoing genetic testing due to family history. I can remember my gynecologist giving me that news in her office behind closed doors and sounding sad—as if I was going to die. As she explained what being BRCA2 positive meant and my options, I was so relieved because although I still didn’t fully understand what she meant, it didn’t sound like I was going to die! I remember leaving her office thinking to myself, “she’s acting like she just told me I’m going to die!” What I later realized was her voice was sad because she understood what my test results meant. It meant the likelihood of me NOT developing breast cancer was 13%. But I had options: Option A – diagnostic mammograms every 6 months for the rest of my life, or Option B – bilateral mastectomies. Say what? At that time, I decided I could live with Option A.
Four months before my diagnosis, in September 2019, my husband bought me an Apple watch for my birthday, and I had the weirdest experience. After about a month of wearing the watch, I began to feel pain running up my arm to my left breast. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. The first time I felt this pain I was at sitting at my desk at work. I felt an electrical shock-like pain go from the tips of my fingers, up my left arm, and then to the left side of my breast. I remember being puzzled and thinking to myself, “Wow! What in the hell was that?”
“In the back of my mind, I started thinking about my BRCA status and the possibility of the pain being breast cancer.”
As the weeks went by it happened more frequently—and only when I had the watch on. I eventually took the watch off, but noticed the area on my left breast where I felt the pain was itchy and hard. Although I knew the signs of breast cancer, I was still blaming my new Apple watch. I asked every person I knew who had one if they had ever experienced this type of pain. I even googled for answers. The response was always “no” or “not found.” In the back of my mind, I started thinking about my BRCA status and the possibility of the pain being breast cancer. I knew I needed to get back to my breast surgeon’s office to go ahead and plan for the preventative mastectomies, but my mind was racing. Is it the watch or something else?
Back to the call.
For a moment, I hesitated in confusion and said to her, “Wait, whhaaaat…cancer?” And what is a “little cancer?” Big or small, I didn’t want it. Never in a million years did I expect to hear those words, but to be honest, deep down inside I wasn’t surprised. I was silent as she explained the next steps. “Yes, I’m sorry. We weren’t expecting this. It’s Stage 1, Triple Negative. We need to see you in the office as soon as possible. Triple Negative is aggressive—can you come in tomorrow?” The appointment was set, and I was advised not to google anything. But of course, I did.
When I hung up the phone, I immediately called my mom and told her the news. My mom’s response was so energetic and positive you’d have thought I told her I was pregnant! Her optimistic response and positive energy didn’t give me time to be sad. I finished the call with her and then called my daughter in the room to break the news to her. She responded with a smile. “Oh wow, Stage 1 is good mom! It’s early. Listen, you’re not going to die.” Now how could I be sad with that response? Finally, my husband came through the door on his lunch break. I had sent him a text after speaking with the doctor asking if he’d come home for lunch. I didn’t want to break the news to him over the phone. I needed to see and feel his response. I wanted to be there to hold him in case he broke down. I needed him to hold me in case I broke down. I wanted him to feel my strength and see that I was okay, but I needed him and his strength. I needed the energy of our love to hold us together when I shared the news with him.
“Hey babe. The doctor called and said I have breast cancer.” I said it matter-of-factly, without any emotion. I was trying to be strong as if I had it together. He looked at me for a moment and said, “Okay.” Our daughter was standing there with a smile on her face, just watching us. She always keeps us grounded with her smile. He continued, “Okay, we just got to do what we got to do.” There it was—the strength, energy, and love that I needed. The assurance I received from my family set the tone for the journey I was about to take with optimism, positivity, fortitude and faith.
Since that day in January, I had a double mastectomy and just finished chemotherapy on my 44th birthday. I’m sharing my story because through my own experience, I’ve learned that black women in the U.S. are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer. A higher proportion of black women present with more advanced breast cancers at the time of their diagnosis (almost four times those of white women), limiting treatment options. We really don’t talk about cancer. Our families don’t talk about our family medical history until our folks are dead and gone, and even then, no one really knows the facts because we act ashamed. We need to know how to answer those medical questionnaires at the doctor’s office so we can TIMELY receive resources like early screenings and genetic testing. Don’t wait until you are 40 to have your breasts checked if you have a family history or feel something going on with your breasts. Not everyone will be so lucky as me to have their Apple watch save their life!