I am 28 years old and live in Quito, Ecuador.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer stage 3B at the age of 26. I knew something was wrong because my nipple started to change drastically. When the doctor told me I had cancer and my treatment was chemotherapy, I felt devastated.

I was worried about my nipple and the doctor had no compassion for me. They said, “you are worried about your nipple when you are going to lose your breast.” Words cannot describe how I felt. Even though those words marked my life, they made me stronger.

Normally, when a person starts chemotherapy, they feel insecure or depressed. Yet, I felt blessed. I knew the only way to heal my body was with chemotherapy. My hair started to recede on my birthday, and I was not prepared for that. However, when my dad shaved my hair, I loved how I looked. I adore and miss my boldness.

 

After 6 chemos, my doctor told me that she could not detect the tumor which measured 7 centimeters. Therefore, the next step was mastectomy.

Since we were on the pandemic, I did not know what to do or where to go before the surgery.

I have always wanted to do body paint but didn’t have a good reason to do it. I asked my best friend to paint my body, and he did an amazing job. I was so grateful and pleased with the result.

I felt ready for the surgery. When the day came, I was calm but a bit nervous. The night before the surgery, I cried until I fall asleep and after it, I listened to meditation songs to relax my soul.

It’s been a year since my body changed, and I have learned to love my body and scars just the way they look. I am still fighting against cancer, but I feel extremely glad for what I have had to live and experience.

Advice for newcomers: It’s been a journey of tolerance, patience, uncertainty, faith, joy, and the most important thing have the best attitude towards good or bad things. People usually complain about unnecessary things when we ought to be thankful for what we have or not. Life is too beautiful to drown in a glass of water. Difficulties bring the best out of people.