Adorn YOUR BODY

The face of breast cancer is not one normally associated with the young and sexy. Viewed by medical professionals as an illness most afflicting the forty-forty club, doctors are more likely not to take a 20-something woman seriously when she reports "feeling" something different. Breast cancer survivor Khadijah Carter tells her story of overcoming this disease.

"I felt my breast one morning in December 2002 and brought it to the attention of my gynecologist in January 2003. He initially wasn't going to follow up – he said, "you're only 28; it's probably nothing" – but scheduled me for a breast sonogram for February, found some abnormalities, scheduled me for a biopsy in March, and I didn't get results until April. By then, it was a large, stage 3 (out of 4) tumor. I was shocked. Cancer doesn’t run in my family, I led a healthy lifestyle, and I wasn't even thinking about things like that. Because of my age and the aggressive nature of the cancer, I had a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery at the same time – I was always a 34D, so to leave the hospital with only one breast would have damaged me psychologically.

I was resistant to chemotherapy at first because I didn't want to lose my hair. I have a daughter who was six at the time, and [though] I didn't want to overwhelm her with the word 'cancer,' I had to explain to her that the medicine I was going to have to take would make me lose my hair. When I finally did start chemo in August 2003, she thought I was beautiful [without hair], which helped a lot! I finished in November. It was all very daunting and stressful, but I tried to stay positive as possible. People kept asking me how I could have such an optimistic attitude throughout the whole ordeal, and I told them, 'the alternative is not going to be a good look. It's better to be faithful and believe that God will heal and deliver me, because I need to be there for my daughter.' There was no other option.

Facing your mortality at a young age is very frightening. My whole life turned upside down. A year prior to [discovering the cancer], I'd left my job at Morgan Stanley to start my own PR company, buy a home, and start a singing career, and all of those things had to be put on hold. However, I feel the blessing in it, because I've just been able to appreciate my life and the people that are in it. I just don’t have time for petty things, I try not to get too stressed out, and I live my life to the fullest to the best that I can.

We all go through ups and downs, but with breast cancer, I feel like I have to continue to advocate for myself and speak out for other women, especially women of color. Far too often we are diagnosed less, but have a higher mortality. A lot of people get those [self-exam brochures] and don't do anything with them. Women have to be more in tune with their bodies and follow up when something’s wrong. Honestly, when my doctor recommended the sonogram, I wasn’t going to go because I didn’t think anything was wrong – but I'm glad I trusted my intuition. Because if I didn't go, I wouldn't be here today."

Editor's Note: Today Kadijah, who works as the director of diversity for the Young Survivor's Coalition, where she speaks around the country to women of color about early detection, is realizing more of her dreams. She recently released her CD, This Day: The Movement, a compilation of inspirational songs and poems. Listen and purchase at http://www.thisdaythemovement.com.