- [Narrator] I found my first tumor in my right breast
when I was 19 years old.
Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, as a teenager
is extremely uncommon and understandably so I was terrified.
I didn't even think you could get breast cancer
as a teenager. Doctors say you need a mammogram
every year after you turned 40.
I wasn't even halfway there yet.
Hi, my name is Eliza Petersen. I am 23 years old.
[Narrator] I'm from Salt Lake City, Utah.
And you may recognize me
as the meteor meteor girl from TikTok.
Meteor, meteor, meteor.
The most difficult aspect of my breast cancer experience
has been the financial burden.
[Narrator] My insurance doesn't cover all of the tests,
treatments and surgeries
that I've needed over the past four years.
I try to postpone tests and treatments for longer
than I should if I can't afford them right away
so I can ensure my family and I have enough money
for groceries and necessities.
[Narrator] I try my best to provide for my family
but at the end of the day, I feel like a burden
more than anything because of the financial obligations
from breast cancer treatment
that I've had to pay for since I was a teenager.
It was 2016 and I had seen a video on Twitter
of a celebrity explaining why it was so important
to check yourself for lumps or changes in your breasts.
- Once a month, you need to cup them.
Really grab them and give them a good squeeze.
- I figured a quick self exam couldn't hurt.
I found my first tumor right away.
I went to go see my family doctor
and he told me the tumor was nothing to worry about.
Lots of women get these kind of tumors.
It's just a fatty tumor.
I shouldn't have any cause for concern,
but within the next three months, my tumor tripled in size.
This was pretty concerning for me
so I went back to my family doctor.
He said that everything was totally normal,
but he would order a mammogram for me,
just for my own peace of mind.
When I arrived at the hospital
to receive my first mammogram, the technician told me
I would not be receiving a mammogram that day.
He said that I was too young for a mammogram.
It wouldn't make sense to do one and he sent me home.
I was shocked and really disappointed
that they had just written off my concerns completely.
I really wanted to trust that the doctors
and technicians knew what was best for me and my health,
but there was still something inside me telling me
that the situation wasn't okay.
I went back to my family doctor one last time
and he said there was nothing else he could do for me.
He suggested I see a specialist
if I was really that worried about it.
My hopes were very high at that point
that anybody could help me
because it felt like nobody wanted to help me.
I was despondent and disappointed
about my experience so far,
and it felt like everyone was discounting
what I was concerned about because of my age.
I found a great breast oncologist
and went to see him for a consultation.
I was immediately brought in for surgery.
[Narrator] The tumors growth rate
and location were big red flags for him
and he knew how serious of a situation this could be.
At that point, it had been about eight months
from the time I first found my tumor
and brought my concerns to a doctor
until I finally had surgery to remove my tumor.
About six months after I had surgery
to remove my first tumor,
they found another tumor on my other side.
That's when they did the biopsy of the tissue
in my milk ducts and discovered the cancerous cells.
I couldn't relate to my peers anymore. It was isolating.
The most positive aspect of my breast cancer experience
has been the emotional support I've received
from people all over the world,
telling me how grateful they were
that I was being open and honest about my fears
and my struggles with breast cancer
and how it made them not feel so alone.
I know how scary that first diagnosis can be.
It's heartbreaking and terrifying.
Seek out a positive support team.
[Narrator] If you have someone you trust
that you can talk about what you're going through,
[Narrator] you won't have to do this alone.
For now it's important that I take this one day at a time
[Narrator] and while some of those days may be much harder
than others, it's important
that every day I'm striving to stay positive.
[Narrator] My journey with breast cancer started
when I watched a video on the importance
of doing self examinations.
I hope this can be that video for another young girl.
If I can help just one person advocate for their own health,
do a self-examination or talk to a specialist,
my journey with breast cancer will have been worth it.
(upbeat music)