‘I Was Diagnosed With Cancer at 16 and Again at 39—These Were the Very First Symptoms I Noticed'

" Cancer doesn't discriminate" can feel like a throwaway line. It's easy—comforting, even—to think of cancer as something that happens to other people and when they're older with an entire, happy life under their belts. Indeed, that's often the case. It's also true that cancer doesn't discriminate.

Sarah Krajewski, a midwife, would know. She was diagnosed with cancer twice before her 40th birthday and beat it both times. Krajewski's doctors diagnosed her with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma when she was "just a normal" 16-year-old girl. The second time she received a diagnosis— breast cancer , this time—came at the age of 39 when she was pregnant with her third child.

"I never imagined I’d be dealing with cancer for a second time," Krajewski says. And she certainly never imagined dealing with it while pregnant.

Krajewski was also below the average age for both cancers. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a blood cancer affecting the lymph system (the body's drainage), typically affects people over the age of 65. However, the American Cancer Society says it's one of the more common cancers in teens. The average age of a diagnosis is 39, though it's the most common cancer in people ages 15 to 19. Krajewski was on the younger side of that.

The average age for a breast cancer diagnosis is 62, with the American Cancer Society reporting that a "very small" number of people are diagnosed with it before age 45.

Of course, age isn't the lone risk factor. Family history is another one, which Krajewski did have. Radiation therapy in the chest, including for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is another. So is a lack of physical activity, but Krajewski was active and had completed triathlons.

Now, after literal blood, sweat and tears from treatments and surgeries, Krajewski plans to break a serious sweat when she bikes 79 miles in her first Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) in early August to raise funds for the cancer hospital that saved her life: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute .

However, Krajewski wouldn't be able to do that or parent her three children if she had ignored the signs of cancer.

"So often, life gets busy, and everyone has so many responsibilities and opposing needs at times," Krajewski says. "It is so important never to ignore that nagging feeling telling you something is wrong."

Krajewski tells Parade about the first signs of cancer she noticed, undergoing treatment and what her life is like today.

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The Top Symptoms Krajewski Noticed Before Her Cancer Diagnoses

"At 16, I was constantly sick with bronchitis, mono and walking pneumonia, prompting me to see doctors," Krajewski says. "At 39, I felt a lump in my right breast."

The American Cancer Society notes that the virus responsible for mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), is most commonly associated with lymphomas in folks with HIV. However, it's why she sought care early, received treatment and survived.

Cancer-free and a wife and mother of two, Krajewski was surprised to notice a breast lump. "Immediately, I knew something was wrong," Krajewski says.

Krajewski wasn't concerned only for herself. She was in the first trimester of her pregnancy with her daughter, Annabelle, and had two children under five at home. According to research published in 2017, a breast lump was the most frequent symptom reported for breast cancer. Most will turn up benign, with 2022 research finding that only about 10% of new lumps turn out to be breast cancer.

Krajewski didn't wait around and hope for the best. She had already seen breast cancer up close. Her grandmother had it and underwent a radical bilateral mastectomy at age 28. Her maternal aunt was 42 when she got it, and her mother 51. A colleague encouraged Krajewski to get a mammogram while she was on-call as a midwife in a hospital.

"She just picked up a phone, called down to our radiology department and told me to get down there," Krajewski says. "Everything happened so quickly from there."

Similar to the first cancer diagnosis, Krajewski says it "quickly" wound up being critical.

"Both times, I was very lucky to be seen and treated quickly," Krajewski explains. "If I could describe it, it was like my old life shut down and my new life with cancer started—a journey that has become a part of me and always will. "

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Cancer Treatment While Pregnant

The week after her mammogram, Krajewski underwent a biopsy on the 8.5 cm tumor. When the breast cancer diagnosis came in, she began treatment at Dana-Farber, which involved surgery and chemotherapy.

"It's strange to have cancer when you are pregnant. Everything we are told to avoid in pregnancy, from deli meat to seafood or soft cheeses, seems trivial next to chemotherapy," Krajewski says. "But to improve our chances of being a family in the long term, Annabelle and I had to walk the path of breast cancer together. She was with me when I had an 8.5 cm tumor removed, through all the chemo and all the emotional ups and downs cancer brings."

One of her biggest challenges the second time was with her first two children, two and four, who understandably couldn't quite grasp what was happening.

"I’d have to tell them, 'Mom can play right now,' 'Mom can't hold you right now' and 'Mom needs to rest,'" Krajewski shares. "Cancer became the second worry to being 'less than' Mom for my girls...Treatment was physically grueling, but it was the emotional drain of feeling like I was being half a mother to my children that was the hardest."

Feeling "less than" is a common refrain from mothers, cancer or not. But Krajewski was more than good enough for her girls, little Annabelle included. She was born via c-section, but Krajewski's journey wasn't over. She underwent more chemo, radiation and a series of three surgeries for re-construction. Again, the doubts of how fit she was to be a mom crept in.

"I will never be able to remember my time with my girls or Annabelle during that time without also remembering the pain, fear and disappointment," Krajewski says. "It's a feeling that took me time to reconcile."

Related: The #1 Early Breast Cancer Sign Most People Miss

Living Proof

Krajewski may have lost the time, but that time meant her three daughters gained a cancer-free mom—a woman who is living proof of what prompt testing, diagnosis and treatment can do. Annabelle, her third daughter, is a cheerful, active two-year-old now.

"There were so many times I was terrified that something was going to happen to Annabelle, but I’m proud to be able to sit here today and tell you that she is perfect and healthy," Krajewski says. "Now my life is wild, busy and beautiful."

One reason it's busy? Krajewski is now using her voice to raise awareness for cancer funding and research. And she's using her body, the one that's beat cancer twice and birthed three girls. She's currently training to cycle 79 miles in the PMC in early August. PMC recently hit $1 billion in lifetime fundraising for Dana-Farber, an impressive feat surpassed only by the priceless lives it has helped save, Krajewski's included.

"Instead of focusing on the negative I was experiencing, I wanted to know what I could do next," Krajewski reveals. "I am what’s considered part of the PMC’s Living Proof community , which is comprised of riders and volunteers who were previously treated or are currently undergoing cancer treatment."

Biking 79 miles will no doubt be a challenge, but Krajewski, who has fought many uphill battles in her life, intends to enjoy the ride.

"To me, riding 79 miles in the PMC means to come full circle—to feel whole and have purpose," Krajewski says. "From both cancer experiences, as cliché as it sounds, I learned to truly cherish every moment, even cherishing the moments that feel mundane because it's those times in between the happiness and the sadness that can feel the most grounded in reality. It's where peace hides."

Next up: 'I Almost Died of Heatstroke at 52—This Is the First Symptom I Wish I'd Paid Attention To'

Sources

• Sarah Krajewski, a midwife in Massachusetts, who beat cancer twice and is participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) to raise funds for the cancer hospital that saved her life: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Key Statistics for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. American Cancer Society .
• Breast Cancer Risk Factors You Cannot Change. American Cancer Society .
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Risk Factors. American Cancer Society .
• Typical and atypical presenting symptoms of breast cancer and their associations with diagnostic intervals: Evidence from a national audit of cancer diagnosis. Cancer Epidemiology .
• Palpable breast lumps: An age-based approach to evaluation and diagnosis. South African Family Practice .