Doctors told me I had cancer in my jaw at 22—But worse was still to come

Your 20s should be filled with enjoyment and exploration. Sadly, my memories include endless hours spent in the oncology ward and undergoing several surgical procedures. I never imagined this would be my reality at the age of 24, but four cancer diagnoses in two years left me no other choice.

I still remember the day I noticed something was not right. It was May 2024 and I felt a small, sharp lump on the corner of my jawline. It was near my ear and although it was not painful or bothersome, it gave a slightly unusual look to my face.

Feeling uncertain about it, I went to get the lump checked and had a biopsy so that doctors could determine what exactly it was. But when the results came back in July 2024, I never imagined hearing the words that came out of the doctor’s mouth.

“You have cancer.”

That call left me absolutely devastated. The world around me froze, and it felt as if my life came to a screeching halt. All my plans for the future were instantly thrown out the window, and my life would now belong to the hospital for the unforeseeable future.

I was diagnosed with Spindle Cell Rhabdomyosarcoma and they had me do a full body PET scan to see where the tumor was, and to make sure there were no other signs of cancer.

I underwent chemotherapy, radiation and then went in for surgery to remove the tumor from my face, and I was technically in remission for about four months. That was not the end of my cancer journey unfortunately. A follow-up scan the following February showed that it had in fact spread to my lungs. The original tumor in my jaw had released little cancer cells that metastasized, causing around 16 tumors in my lungs.

As a result, my oncologist told me that I had about three to six months to live.

‘I Thought That Was My Destiny’

I genuinely thought I was going to die. I had almost given up because I thought that was my destiny. In cases with my specific cancer, most would never make it past a second diagnosis, and I truly thought that was it for me.

I had to undergo more chemotherapy and radiation after the second diagnosis, but I was really scared and it was incredibly difficult to cope.

Having fought off cancer twice in my early 20s, I really hoped my battle was won.

Then came the unimaginable when my partner noticed a big lump on the lower left side of my back in December 2025. It was between my rib cage and hip, and I hoped that it was anything other than what I feared the most.

After about a week, I went for a scan of my back to find out what it was. That was when they told me they found a tumor the size of a tennis ball invading my lower left back strap muscle.

As devastating as it was to get a third diagnosis, I had become a little desensitized to receiving such news by that point. Of course I was upset, but the tears stopped much quicker and my logic shifted to planning what to do next. I knew that I was blessed to be alive, and I wanted to fight with everything I had.

‘All Four Cancers Are Linked’

By this point, I knew the drill. We blasted the tumor with radiation on my back to try and kill it off.

In spring 2026, I returned to the hospital for a full body PET scan. My oncologist and radiologist recommended getting scans around four months after the treatment to my back in order to get an accurate reading on the status of my tumor.

During that scan, not only did they see that the tumor was almost completely necrotic, but my oncologist found over 28 new tumors throughout my body. They are in my neck, shoulders, back, arms, hand, buttocks, hips, and legs.

My cancer is stage four as it metastasized, and I have been told there is a very low chance of survival. At this point, I just feel numb to it. It is believed that all four cancers are linked with the same genetic code from the original tumor.

In the last two years, I have undergone five different surgeries (including two jaw replacements and removal of bone from my leg), four radiation treatments to the face, two to the lungs and one to the back, and I have had about 10 months of chemotherapy. I am now on active chemotherapy once again, and I anticipate further treatments will be necessary in the future.

My oncologist remains cautiously optimistic about this latest treatment regimen.

In many ways, the first cancer diagnosis was the most difficult because it was so unfamiliar. I had to have surgery on my face, leading to dramatic changes to my body and my appearance.

Getting through the last two years would not have been possible without the love and support from my partner, Jarom. It is so important to have caring people around you; it makes the world of difference.

I have been living with cancer for almost two years now, and I am very grateful for the life I have.

I want people to know that you can go through difficult experiences and still be happy and have a good life. The beauty in this life is found in your ability to see it. What you feed your mind goes so much further than people realize because you can rewire your brain to think positively by training yourself to look for the good. That is what I have done because being negative and down on life does me no good for my outcome.

Brittany Christianson, 24, resides in Utah and is using her experience to spread awareness and positivity. She has been documenting her journey on social media (@the.brokenbutterfly) to educate others and to share the reality of living with cancer.