How a Wedding Dress Fitting Led to My Breast Cancer Discovery
- Stacy B.
- Nov 2, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 18, 2024
Since sharing my diagnosis, one question I keep getting asked—always from women—is, “How did you discover you had breast cancer?” The story is filled with fateful moments. Here’s how it went.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a breast exam as part of my annual check-up. When I hit 40, I did what I was told and went for my first mammogram. That’s when they told me I had dense breast tissue. It sounded like something many women hear—not a huge worry, just an added layer of screening. So from then on, it was mammogram and ultrasound every year. I kept every appointment, never missed a beat. In December 2023, I had my routine check, and everything came back normal. “See you next year,” they said.
But fast forward to May, and suddenly “next year” feels like a lifetime away.
In May 2024, Andy and I decided this was the year we’d finally tie the knot. After eight years of building a life together, three more years of engagement, and every reason not to get married slowly becoming irrelevant, it felt right. We’d gotten engaged in September 2021 on the shores of Elkhart Lake, and like all good stories, it came with curveballs.
Our original plan for a quick, small, and intimate wedding quickly took a backseat when Andy’s father passed away unexpectedly in early 2022 and then his uncle a month later. From there, we were back and forth to England, sorting through grief and family changes. It was during one of these visits that Andy stumbled upon Dorfold Hall in Nantwich. We both fell in love with the place and set a date for mid-July 2023. But, as life does, it threw us another round of challenges—unexpected losses, job changes, family needs, and the ups and downs of managing our blended family. We never sent our full deposit or the save the date for the July wedding, so we just let it go unceremoniously. By 2024, we were back to talking about the wedding and still set on Dorfold Hall.
This time, though, when we reached out, they told us they were selling the property. No future reservations. But—there was one date left: August 31, 2024. After a whirlwind of quick decision-making, we did it. Nothing would stand in the way of it this time. (And, honestly, we were tired of talking about it!) It was all meant to be, right? We finally had a wedding date.
The Dress, the Fitting, and the Lump
Days after booking Dorfold, I was out shopping for dresses. I had a vision of wearing a Pronovias or Rosa Clará gown, two Spanish designers I’d been eyeing. I tried on a few beautiful dresses, but nothing felt right. Then, in true fashion-movie style, the bridal store owner brought over one last dress—one I hadn’t picked but decided to try. It was different from what I thought I wanted, but the second I put it on, I knew it was the dress. (For those curious, my gown was made by a lesser known, up-and-coming Ukrainian designer; in some small way, it felt like I was doing some good.)
Two months later, on July 9, I was at my first fitting with Emily and a friend by my side. As I stood there in that dreamy dress, adjusting it to fit just right, I felt something odd—a lump in my right breast. I remember thinking, “Hmm, has that always been there?” I brushed it off, mentally noting it to check later.
That night, when I got home and remembered, I asked Andy to feel the lump and get his opinion (the man knows my boobs well). His response: “No, that hasn’t been there. Yes, you should probably get it checked out.” I won’t share the cheeky things he said next (hehe).
From Wedding Dress to Diagnosis
The next day, I called my primary care doctor, and as soon as I mentioned a lump, I had an appointment on the books. My doctor confirmed it was abnormal during the exam, marking two suspicious spots on my left breast and my right. Cue internal panic. From there, things moved fast. A week later, I went to a high-risk breast clinic, where a mammogram and ultrasound led to three weeks of biopsies, and an MRI confirmed the existence of a 3.7 cm tumor. That lump I’d felt while adjusting my dress? It was growing fast, completely undetected by my December scans. If I hadn’t found it in July, it might not have been caught until my next scheduled mammogram in December, when it would've had time to spread to lymph nodes or had dangerously become 5 cm—stage IV territory.
Fateful Moments
Looking back, I can’t help but think: Can you imagine if we’d passed on that last-minute wedding date in 2024 and pushed it into 2025? After years of buildup and one delay after another, the universe might have thrown in a final curveball, like, “Oh, you thought you were in the clear? Here’s cancer, just to keep you on your toes!” But we were all in—wedding planning in one hand and a treatment plan in the other—determined to finally say “I do,” cancer invader or not.
So many fateful steps led us here: three years of wedding delays, snagging the last wedding date at our dream venue, and choosing a dress that revealed more than just my style. Add to that a husband who’s an expert at boob-handling (hehe) and a healthcare team that moved at lightning speed. Each moment feels like it was meant to be, guiding us toward something bigger.
From discovering the lump on July 9 to my diagnosis on August 8, I’m beyond grateful for the timing, the support, and the accidental discovery that helped me catch this before it was too late. Funny thing is, I never planned on keeping my dress—I justified the splurge by telling myself I’d sell it later. But now, it’s part of a much bigger story. Letting it go might be harder than I thought. But, probably not as hard as it will be to plan a honeymoon!
Awareness in Action: The More You Know
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month wraps up and the world moves on to the next cause, it’s important to remember that breast cancer awareness can’t just be a one-month focus. For those of us navigating this journey, it’s a daily reality, and the importance of vigilance remains. Here are a few takeaways from my own experience:
Annual exams are crucial, but so are the checks in between. Don’t skip those yearly mammograms and ultrasounds—early detection saves lives.
Self-exams are more powerful than you think. A quick check could make all the difference, just as it did for me.
Remember: office exams don’t replace a self-exam. Gynecologists and primary care doctors agree—no one knows your body like you do, so make it a habit.
