What Do You Do When You're 22 And Get Diagnosed With Breast Cancer?

Alexandra Silva was only 22 years old when she found her own lump. Even though she was young and had no family history of breast cancer, she had a gut feeling that she needed to get it checked out. Not even for a second did she expect the diagnosis to come back positive for breast cancer. Checking herself saved her life. This is what she learned from her experience and how she dealt with it.

What is your spirit animal? 

Unicorn.

When was your diagnosis and how old were you? 

I was diagnosed on January 21, 2013 at the age of 22.

How did you find out you had breast cancer? 

I had a biopsy done & the results came back positive.

Who was the first person you confided in about your illness? 

My mom.

Tell us something about yourself that people probably don’t know? 

Although I put on a brave face, I always have a bit of fear in me that the cancer could come back.

After your treatment, what do you now make time for in your day? 

I always make sure that I have time to relax and reflect on my day.

If you could be a superhero, what would your super powers be? 

I wish I could time travel, I'd love to relive all the awesome moments of my life.

What advice would you give to someone recently diagnosed? 

Let yourself feel every emotion. Whether it's being mad or sad or joyous. Ride that wave and it will help you out tremendously.

If someone wrote a biography about you what would the title be? 

Warrior Queen.

What advice would you give your 16 year old self? 

You will be stronger than you could have ever imagined.

What was the toughest challenge you faced? 

The toughest challenge had to be going through my mastectomy. I was losing a part of my body & something that made me feel like a woman. I had to learn that not having breasts doesn't make me any less of a woman.

When do you laugh the most? 

I'm always laughing throughout the day. I'm constantly making jokes or dancing funny, anything to have a laugh. It's one of the best ways to release stress.

If you could go back in time to any event, what would it be? 

This past summer I saw Lady Gaga in San Diego for the 4th time. She read my sign, which said, "I'm a Warrior Queen, I survived cancer." She sang part of the song where I got "Warrior Queen" from & at the end of the verse she sang, "Fuck Cancer!" I cried when she first noticed me & truly was one of the best moments of my life.

If you could travel anywhere where would it be and why? 

I have always been infatuated with Ireland, the people, the culture, and the landscape, its all so beautiful. And hey, it'd be nice if I found myself an Irishman!

“I found my lump through self-check. I could've easily ignored it, but I felt it in my gut to get it checked out. I was so young and had no family history of breast cancer, so never in my wildest dream would I have thought it would come back positive for breast cancer. You are your own best advocate, and if you know something is wrong, don't hesitate to do something about it.” - Alexandra Silva

Visit checkyourselfie.org to download our Check Yourself! app and schedule a monthly self-check to protect your boobies! Don't forget to also post  a #CHECKYOURSELFIE and challenge 3 of your friends to do the same!