'You have to advocate for yourself': Valley mother shares her breast cancer battle

PHOENIX - A new mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 29 – her daughter was only 11 months old.

What they're saying:

"She would have been 11 months old when I was diagnosed with, initially, a stage 2 diagnosis, and then I had a lumpectomy, and they tested my lymph nodes and, unfortunately, they were all cancerous," Lindsey Dermyer said.

A stage 2 diagnosis – it had spread to her sternum.

"I was terrified. As I mentioned, my daughter was 1, and I was devastated at the prospect of leaving her so soon," said Dermyer. "It was very shocking because it all happened fast. Hearing you have stage 2 cancer as a 29-year-old is a lot. A new mom is a lot to process, and then finding it has spread and is much more serious was very emotional."

Within a couple of months, her life had changed. That turn of events all began the day her aunt suggested she perform a self-breast exam and see a doctor. 

"It was a self exam, at a BBQ. Why? I am so young, no history, and so I did, and I found a lump," said Dermyer. "I didn't know if it was a lingering-clogged duct or something, but I monitored it, and it did not go away, so then I scheduled something with my primary care doctor."

Within a fairly short amount of time, doctors performed a lumpectomy, and Dermyer started treatment.

"After the lumpectomy, I started chemo, and then I started radiation, and then I did another surgery where they removed all the lymph nodes in that side and I have been on an oral medication and I get injections," she explained. "I am very lucky because my medical team treated me curatively and aggressively. My first medical oncologist was not willing to do that, so I switched oncologist."

Derymyer says that was a game-changer. Her advice? Don't be afraid to be your own best advocate.

"You have to advocate for yourself, and if a doctor proposes a treatment plan you're not comfortable with, find another one. That's what I did, and I might not be sitting here with you if I hadn't done that," she said. "Also, if I hadn't performed self breast exams – those are very important in an age group where screening is not regularly performed or paid for by insurance."

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