{"id":26372,"date":"2020-09-16T18:07:09","date_gmt":"2020-09-16T18:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cmshub.wpengine.com\/?p=322827"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:16:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:16:18","slug":"not-old-enough-for-breast-cancer-she-demanded-a-mammogram-anyway-and-discovered-stage-iii-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/not-old-enough-for-breast-cancer-she-demanded-a-mammogram-anyway-and-discovered-stage-iii-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Old Enough for Breast Cancer, She Demanded a Mammogram Anyway and Discovered Stage III Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Heather Harrington is a fitness icon and the cofounder of Compass Fitness<\/a> in Denver. She has a family history of breast cancer, so when she turned 41, she insisted on getting a mammogram, despite the fact that her doctor didn\u2019t recommend one until age 45.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI went a couple of weeks ago to get my first mammogram,\u201d Heather recalls. \u201cMy doctor said not until you\u2019re 45. I said, \u2018No I want it now.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: FOX 31 KDVR<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heather\u2019s hunch was right. \u201cTurns out I have stage 3 breast cancer<\/a>, and I will be going through chemo and a bilateral mastectomy,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: FOX 31 KDVR<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After her diagnosis, Heather was forced to take a break from teaching gym classes in order to receive treatment for her disease. But while she will miss her students, she hopes to teach them an important lesson in her absence: always listen to your body<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: GoFundMe\/Support Heather in Crushing Cancer<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cYou always have to advocate for yourself,\u201d Heather says. \u201cIf something doesn\u2019t feel right, it\u2019s probably not right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Heather, who is the mother of a five-year-old daughter, believes that she\u2019ll have no problem beating cancer with the help of her amazing support system, many of which she met through Compass Fitness. She expects to be back at the gym in no time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: FOX 31 KDVR<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI have to continue to look like this is just a blip in my road,\u201d she says. \u201cThis is a speed bump, and I will get through this no problem. The worst of my worries is going to be when my daughter starts dating.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: FOX 31 KDVR<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heather\u2019s friends at Compass Fitness have started a GoFundMe<\/a> to help her fund her cancer treatment, and they\u2019ve already raised several thousand dollars. It\u2019s their way of saying showing their support for the woman who has encouraged them to do their best.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cHer ability to show up for people and to take a really horrible thing and make it funny and about the community, not about herself, that\u2019s what we\u2019ve come to expect from Heather,\u201d says Compass Fitness co-owner Taylor Ames<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Get well soon, Heather! We know you can kick cancer with such a great team for support!<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out the video below to learn more.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Elizabeth<\/p>\n

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Elizabeth Nelson is a wordsmith, an alumna of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, a four-leaf-clover finder, and a grammar connoisseur. She has lived in west Michigan since age four but loves to travel to new (and old) places. In her free time, she. . . wait, what\u2019s free time?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Provide Mammograms<\/h5>\n

Support those fighting Breast Cancer at The Breast Cancer Site<\/span> for free! \u2192<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n