I’m Jessica, and I’m a young breast cancer survivor who has become the first patient to create an app that shows users how to do self breast exams, monitor their changes and set monthly reminders. AMA!

I feel like I will have cancer(s) at some point in time. What do I need to prepare for it (them)?

When you make your appointment, talk to your physician about your concerns regarding cancer. Go over your family history, talk about the possibility of environmental factors, discuss your individual risks and talk about a screening routine that's appropriate for you. If you don't feel comfortable about your doctor or the conversation you have with him/her, it's ok to get a second opinion.

When you make your appointment, talk to your physician about your concerns regarding cancer. Go over your family history, talk about the possibility of environmental factors, discuss your individual risks and talk about a screening routine that's appropriate for you. Your screening routine may include scans and/or bloodwork.

If you don't feel comfortable about your doctor or the conversation you have with him/her, it's ok to get a second opinion.

How old were you when you found the lump ? Does your family has a history of breast cancer ? Thanks.

So, I found a benign lump accidentally when I was 18 years old. I had it removed, and that experience put me in the habit of doing self breast exams throughout adulthood.

I found the malignant lump in my breast at 33 years old.

I'm the 4th generation on my dad's side of the family to get breast cancer, and I don't say it runs in my family; it sprints. One great grandmother, my grandmother, 5 grand aunts, 2 aunts and now me.

The thing is, no one in my family has ever tested positive for a known gene mutation.

Sorry you had to go through all of that. And I'm glad you're ok now. Interesting fact about the negative on the gene mutation .... Must be some other unknown gene or something. Ever thought about 23 and me ? Not that they would find anything at the moment but they use the data to find new stuff if you know what I mean.

My oncologist, who has treated me, one of my aunts and my grandmother, believes that there is a gene mutation, but it's not known at this time. I was initially tested against 80-something genes and as science advances, my oncologist will check in with me for more testing. I have thought about the other services though.

So did you get positive for a familial mutation? I'm asking because you also had a hysterectomy done

There was not a positive familial mutation that was detected. I had a hysterectomy because of the unknown cancer risk (others in my family have had uterine cancer), and I wanted to reduce my reoccurrence rate for breast cancer.

Ovaries carry a bigger risk of malignancy for breast cancer, so you probably had them removed as well with the uterus.

More power to you ✨🙂

I did have a "total" or "complete" hysterectomy. It was a no-brainer decision for me, for the most part.

Welcome to the Angelina Jolie Club 😄

You know, when I turned 30, I told myself I wanted to have a double mastectomy and a hysterectomy prophylactically at 35 ... I didn't make it. And even if I attempted to have that conversation with doctors at a younger age, it would have been a huge uphill battle for me.

What advice can you give to a breast cancer patient who are afraid of treatments ?

I would say talk to your oncologist, breast surgeon and/r nurse navigator about the short-term and long term risks/benefits of treatments being considered. Talk about the quality of life you would have after going through them, and the potential risks of refraining. And then I would say to find a supportive community of women who have gone through those treatments. Reach out and see what their experiences were like, and find those you can call upon when you're not feeling well or feeling uncertain.

For me, I saw what my family had gone through, and I wanted to finish the fight that started with them. I knew I had to make hard decisions that would keep my reoccurrence rate as close to 0 as possible, because I do not want to do this again.

How much programming experience do you have? What do you code in? I hope you make lots of money and squirrel it away into financial instruments that keep you and your children secure always. Congratulations.

These are great questions ... I went into this with virtually no experience with programming or coding. I knew a little about making websites, and I learned HTML back in the good ol' Myspace days, but I knew (know) nothing sophisticated or advanced. I found a platform that let me create a hybrid app that didn't require coding. While my friends were baking bread and growing plants, I learned how to use it.

And one thing I've adopted into my life is that I don't care if anyone forgets who I am. I just want them to do their self (breast) exams. I'm currently working with my state senator to create a bill that would require high school students to learn how to do breast exams, testicular exams and skin exams at age-appropriate levels.

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Whatever my nephews want to watch when I'm babysitting them. If it keeps them entertained, it's my favorite. :-)

I once spent time with breast cancer survivors - and was very surprised. Some said they didn't regret the diagnosis, because they now appreciated the small joys in life, and saw life from a whole new perspective. I was really surprised to hear this. Does any of that ring true to you?

On one side, yes, I feel like I found a purpose through cancer, and I express a lot of gratitude for that. It feels less vulnerable to say that this "journey" has "taught me so much" and "I became better," and while some of that is true ... I've had many moments of anger, shame and resentment. There has been a lot of fear and anxiety. And yet, relief, too. It's so hard to explain. My feelings and emotions have been all over the place in different parts of this "journey."

Why is this app not available in all countries?

I'm actually working on this as we speak. On Apple it's available in 175 countries, and I'm waiting for Google to approve the same for me. I'll keep you posted!

I've actually had people use VPNs to download and use my app though.