I keep thinking back to the symptoms I had before I was diagnosed with stage 4 invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer. I had sciatic pain that radiated all the way down to my ankle and made me limp. I had rib pain that felt like I pulled a muscle in my side, a swollen left armpit, feet pain, and night sweats so bad my shirt would be drenched. I chalked it all up to working too hard as a CNA, and some of it was brushed off as other causes too.

What hurts even more is knowing I had all of this before I even found my lump. When I think back to the year before I had my twins, I could barely feed on my left breast, and it was thought to be a clogged duct. Now I live with breast cancer in my bones, in so many places, and I cannot stop thinking about how many people are told their pain is nothing, especially when they are exhausted, postpartum, or working physically demanding jobs.

I am asking hospitals, clinics, and medical leaders to require clear follow-up when patients report warning signs like persistent one-sided breast changes, unexplained swelling, pain that keeps getting worse, and symptoms that do not resolve. Patients should not be sent home with a guess and no next step. We need repeat evaluation, better listening, and a standard process for documenting symptoms and making sure concerns are fully checked instead of dismissed.

I am still here, and I am grateful to be here. But being grateful should not mean staying quiet about what needs to change. If you believe patients deserve to be heard earlier and taken seriously before cancer reaches a late stage, please sign this petition.