She Thought She Had Breast Cancer. It Was Actually a Harmless COVID Vaccine Side Effect.

Why harmless swollen lymph nodes are being mistaken for signs of spreading cancer. [ view in browser.     add elle@newsletter.elle.com to your address book ]             FOLLOW US       She Thought She Had Breast Cancer. It Was Actually a Harmless COVID Vaccine Side Effect.   She was in the shower when she first felt it. A lump where no woman ever wants to find one. Just below the armpit, near the side of the breast. It was uncomfortable to touch, and big—about the size of a golf ball. After drying off, she immediately texted her doctor: I think I might have breast cancer. "I panicked," says Samantha, a 33-year-old psychotherapist from California who requested anonymity in this story. "I had trouble sleeping and it's not like I could easily forget about it. Every time I got dressed or moved my arm, it was there." At an appointment the next week, Samantha's gynecologist referred her to a breast screening specialist, who asked whether she recently received the COVID-19 vaccine. She had, seven days earlier. Moderna. On her left arm—the same side as the lump. READ ON       Jennifer Lopez Shows Off the Giant Rose Arrangement Alex Rodriguez Gave Her for Valentine's Day   It's truly a thing of wonder. Read On         Fans Think Taylor Swift Hid a Very Telling Easter Egg on Her 'Fearless' Cover   They caught on to one particular sartorial element. Read On         Just 61 Pictures of Royals-by-Marriage Before They Were Royal   Your style definitely changes when you marry a royal. Read On         Kendall Jenner Makes It Instagram Official With Boyfriend Devin Booker   This has been a long time coming. Read On         'To All the Boys I've Loved Before: Always and Forever' Has People Swooning on Twitter   Don't make us say goodbye! Read On       ELLE.com ©2021 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019   Unsubscribe     Privacy Notice