Self-Advocating During Cancer Treatment: Amanda’s Story
Her treatment would affect her fertility, so she sought a second opinion.
“When you are facing something a little bit off with your body, if there's a lump, if there's nipple discharge, if there's something that just doesn't sit right, trust your instincts,” says Amanda Rice, who founded the non-profit organization Chick Mission.
Rice, who has been diagnosed with cancer three separate times before age 40, founded Chick Mission after her insurance company denied coverage for her fertility preservation. Although she could cover the cost on her own, she knew that wasn’t an option for all women. Chick Mission works to educate women undergoing cancer treatment about their preservation options, as well as improve financial accessibility for these procedures.
Advocacy has always seemed to be ingrained in Rice’s DNA. She’s had to be an advocate for herself from the moment her cancer journey started.
“The first time I realized something was off was on vacation, and I noticed I had a little bit of a brown spot on my bikini top,” says Rice. “I went to my ob/gyn during my annual visit and mentioned I was seeing this nipple discharge.”
Her ob/gyn originally dismissed this concern, but Rice pushed back until the doctor wrote her a prescription for a mammogram. After a mammogram, four different biopsies, and three months of various tests, she finally heard the answer: “You have cancer.”
“I didn't know that much about cancer, so the word freaked me out a lot and made me incredibly upset,” says Rice. “I didn't even know what the difference between chemo and radiation was at that point.”
Learning About Fertility
The doctors at the first hospital recommended chemotherapy for her. While chemotherapy can be an effective treatment against cancer, some types of chemotherapy can affect fertility, so it may pose some difficult questions for women—especially younger women like Rice.
As the doctors told her about how chemotherapy could affect both the quantity and quality of her eggs, she thought to herself, “If I want to have any chance of being a biological mother one day, I need to take action.”
For women who are concerned about their fertility, sometimes a different type of chemotherapy is a better option, or it might be better to use a different type of therapy altogether. This is what Rice did: She sought a second opinion from another doctor, who ended up recommending long-term drug therapy instead.
Each time Rice received a cancer diagnosis, she advocated for herself to get the time to undergo fertility treatments—three times in total. She says this takes some patience because it may feel like you need to start cancer treatment immediately.
“I think I would go back and tell my former self, ‘Take the time, ask for help, take a moment, and take a breath,’” says Rice. Today, she hopes Chick Mission can provide that support for other women going through similar struggles, so that they can make informed decisions—before their treatment makes the decision for them.
00:00.833 --> 00:02.666
(gentle piano music)
00:02.667 --> 00:08.666
When you are facing something a little bit off with your body,
00:08.667 --> 00:11.132
if there's a lump, if there's nipple discharge,
00:11.133 --> 00:15.966
if there's something that just doesn't sit right, trust your instincts.
00:15.967 --> 00:18.532
You need to fight on behalf of your own,
00:18.533 --> 00:21.032
your own body and your own health.
00:21.033 --> 00:27.566
(gentle piano music)
00:27.567 --> 00:30.366
There were months leading up to an actual diagnosis.
00:30.367 --> 00:35.932
The first time I realized something was off was on vacation
00:35.933 --> 00:41.699
and I noticed I had a little bit of a brown spot on my bikini top.
00:41.700 --> 00:45.999
So I went to my ob/gyn during my annual visit
00:46.000 --> 00:49.932
and mentioned, you know, I was seeing this nipple discharge
00:49.933 --> 00:53.899
and was pretty immediately dismissed as, "breasts are funny,"
00:53.900 --> 00:59.066
"you're getting older," and that just didn't sit with me.
00:59.067 --> 01:00.999
I did push back
01:01.000 --> 01:04.199
and she wrote me a prescription for a mammogram.
01:04.200 --> 01:06.266
When I went in for my mammogram,
01:06.267 --> 01:10.266
there were a lot of suspicious things that happened.
01:10.267 --> 01:13.399
But you don't get the cancer diagnosis at that point either.
01:13.400 --> 01:16.799
I went through four different biopsies.
01:16.800 --> 01:20.399
Finally, after about three months of various tests,
01:20.400 --> 01:23.932
they said, "You have cancer."
01:23.933 --> 01:25.032
Was I gonna live?
01:25.033 --> 01:27.466
You know, where was I in the stages?
01:27.467 --> 01:28.932
I didn't know that much about cancer,
01:28.933 --> 01:35.099
so the word freaked me out a lot and made me incredibly upset.
01:35.100 --> 01:38.699
So when I was first diagnosed, a lot of it had to do
01:38.700 --> 01:40.799
with trial by fire:
01:40.800 --> 01:42.332
learning a new language,
01:42.333 --> 01:44.666
researching doctors that could help you.
01:44.667 --> 01:46.466
I didn't even know what the difference between chemo
01:46.467 --> 01:48.466
and radiation was at that point.
01:48.467 --> 01:50.832
At the first hospital, they wanted to proceed with chemo.
01:50.833 --> 01:53.299
And ultimately when I was told that it would not only affect
01:53.300 --> 01:56.299
the quantity of eggs, but the quality of my eggs,
01:56.300 --> 01:58.132
that I need to pay attention to this.
01:58.133 --> 02:00.932
If I want to have any chance of being a biological mother
02:00.933 --> 02:03.166
one day, I need to take action.
02:03.167 --> 02:05.666
Pursue the right treatment plans,
02:05.667 --> 02:08.266
sometimes that means getting a second opinion,
02:08.267 --> 02:09.766
which also takes time.
02:09.767 --> 02:13.299
When I got the second opinion, it was long-term drug therapy,
02:13.300 --> 02:14.666
not chemotherapy.
02:14.667 --> 02:18.999
I think I would go back and tell my former self:
02:19.000 --> 02:23.699
take the time, ask for help, take a moment, and take a breath,
02:23.700 --> 02:27.466
and find a way to keep yourself busy during this waiting game,
02:27.467 --> 02:29.399
the better off you'll be.
02:29.400 --> 02:35.467
(gentle music)
How cancer and cancer treatment can affect fertility in females. Atlanta, GA; American Cancer Society. (Accessed on April 20, 2020 at https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/fertility-and-sexual-side-effects/fertility-and-women-with-cancer/how-cancer-treatments-affect-fertility.html.)