Cancer Messed with the Wrong One

Cancer Messed with the Wrong One

Lisa Patrick

The Ashland Beacon

When Amanda Bowling started experiencing pain that radiated from her chest down into her breast in June 2024, she went to an urgent care center. The diagnosis? Anxiety. But as the pain worsened over the summer, Bowling sought a second opinion. This time, she was diagnosed and treated for mastitis. However, due to her young age – just 32 – she wasn’t able to get a mammogram. But she wasn’t ready to give up, and she eventually pushed for one. 

When the pain continued to intensify after the anxiety diagnosis, with her right nipple pointing inward, swollen, and painful all the time, Bowling went to her women’s health care provider. This doctor diagnosed her with mastitis but also ordered an ultrasound and a mammogram. The next day, she had the ultrasound but was told she was too young for a mammogram – and nothing was found on the ultrasound. Still, Bowling was treated for mastitis and later saw a breast surgeon. This time, the surgeon ordered all the tests – ultrasound, mammogram, and biopsy – all on the same day. Bowling shared that she spent the day "bawling and thinking of her kids."

On Dec. 6, 2024, Bowling sat with her oncologist, who delivered the devastating news: not only did she have stage four breast cancer, but it had already spread to her lymph nodes, her liver, and even her bone. The oncologist said they'd start treatment the following week, but Bowling wasn’t having it. "No! We’ll start treatment today," she said, determined not to wait. "I’m not leaving this hospital without having chemo." Her insurance was quickly sorted, and by the end of the day, she received her first chemo treatment.

She was prescribed six rounds of chemotherapy, and, as she puts it, "The chemo side effects are harsh. Losing my hair broke my heart. I’m am now totally bald." Her eyebrows are still hanging in there, and she gets her eyelashes done. "I’ve always been the healthy one in my family. I don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs. I could understand this a little better if I put crazy stuff in my body, but I don’t,” Bowling shared. But Bowling is nothing if not a fighter. "Cancer messed with the wrong one, that’s for sure," declared Bowling.

Just before her diagnosis, Bowling had returned to work after six years as a stay-at-home mom, taking a job as an instructional aide for behavioral kindergarten students at Oakview Elementary. She’s been overwhelmed by the support from her new coworkers, who have been donating their days off and who, as survivors themselves, have been a constant source of encouragement. "I can talk to them about anything," she noted.

Oakview isn’t the only school supporting Bowling … Poage Elementary, where her children attend, organized a "Pink Out" day and has been selling popcorn every Friday, donating all proceeds to her treatment. The outpouring of love and support from her community has been a "shock" she explained "People have been dropping off gifts, sending dinner, making shirts, and taking up donations. I didn’t know that many people. I didn’t think I knew that many people," shared a very thankful Bowling. Being beyond "thankful" Bowling plans to "give back" in whatever way she can, even if she’s not sure how yet.

After her first round of chemo, Bowling noticed a difference. The pain she had lived with for so long began to fade. Her right breast, once swollen and hard, "looks like my good breast now," she explained. After five rounds of chemo, scans showed that the spots on her liver and bone were completely gone, and the tumor in her breast had shrunk significantly. Although she had expected surgery and radiation, her doctor now wants to focus on targeted therapy, a medication aimed specifically at her type of cancer to stop its growth and prevent further spread.

On March 21, she completed her sixth and final round of chemo, surrounded by an army of support all day long. "There were days when I thought this day would never come or that I would quit before it did, but I didn’t!" she stated proudly. Bowling was also invited to participate in a clinical trial to help with cancer research, and she was eager to say, "Absolutely! Whatever I can do to help fight against this awful disease and help others going through it, I’ll do it!"

Bowling is a firm believer in advocating for yourself. "It shouldn’t matter how young you are," she declared. "Everyone deserves to get the treatment they need." Bowling’s cancer journey has also given her a new perspective on life: "I see life in a whole different way. Don’t take it for granted. It can change with the snap of a finger."