My Wedding Was the Happiest Day of My Life—Then Came My Worst Nightmare

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We made it here and now this is just the beginning of our story. I truly am the luckiest person alive, I thought to myself. Malachi and I tied the knot on June 5, 2026, and it was the happiest day of my life. Although, there was one nagging feeling I could not ignore. I remember trying so hard to forget about the sharp electric shocks that kept occurring in my left breast. Following the ceremony, we danced the night away on the beach under the moonlight. It was the most incredible night seeing our families merge into one. My father and I shared a dance to “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, a song my mom and I always loved to listen to together. My wedding was on the three-year anniversary of her death, as she passed away from colorectal cancer. While we danced, my dad told me how much I remind him of my mom, and I really could feel her presence with me. At that point in time, I had so much excitement for the future and thought I knew exactly what it would look like. I never expected what was yet to come. 'I Felt This Moveable But Solid Mass in My Left Breast' To understand the full picture, we should rewind to March of this year. I was trying on a new bra, and I felt this moveable but solid mass in my left breast. It was the size of a grape and seemed perfectly round, almost like a small rubber ball you’d get in a 25-cent machine. It didn’t feel squishy like a cyst, it was rock hard. Of course, my brain immediately thought of the worst possible scenario: cancer. I searched the internet for breast cancer symptoms, and everything I found said that breast cancer tumors are immoveable and irregular. So, what was this mass? People often talk about ignoring their instincts until the symptoms progressed, but here’s the thing, I did everything right from the start and it still took months to be heard. On March 27, I went to see my primary care physician who felt the lump and told me it doesn’t seem like anything concerning. Undoubtedly, I was already worried, so I advocated for a breast ultrasound and got in the same day at our local hospital. Truthfully, I think I was in such a rush to get answers because my mother’s cancer was discovered extremely late, and I did not want to end up the same way. They told me I would get my results within a week, but three weeks later, I received a call from the hospital regarding my results. They scored my 1.5-centimeter mass as a three on the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS), which means it’s probably benign and low risk. The recommendation was to come back in six months if I noticed any changes, and in the meantime I was referred to a local surgical center. It took about a month for the referral to be processed (likely because I was scored a three on the BI-RADS). I told the nurse that I started having electrical zaps in my breast and I could feel the tumor growing by the day, but again, her recommendation was to come back in six months. Still, I pushed for a biopsy, and they referred me to a breast imaging center three hours away in Lubbock, Texas. Yet again, it took a while for them to arrange my appointment and I became frustrated. I was done playing the waiting game, and I told myself this was a sign from God that there wasn’t anything wrong. After all, I’m only 25, have no family history of breast cancer, and all my symptoms pointed to it being benign. So why am I putting all this energy into getting a biopsy? Our destination wedding took place in the middle of that chaos, and it was a welcome distraction. But exactly two weeks after the wedding, I finally had my biopsy. Neither my husband nor I thought that anything would come from it; we simply wanted to know what the mass was and why it was growing so quickly. At this point, the electrical zaps were also happening constantly. As they were performing the ultrasound-guided biopsy, I asked the technician what size my mass was. It was 2.8cm by this point, so in just three months, it had doubled in size. Several days passed and on June 24, I received a call. “Jaden, you need to come in within the hour,” the doctor told me. That’s odd, I thought to myself. Maybe my mass is growing so fast that they just want to remove it as quickly as possible. There’s no way it could be anything worse. I couldn’t have been more wrong. ‘I Immediately Began to Grieve the Rest of My Life’ Mere weeks after the happiest day of my life came the worst. On June 24, I was diagnosed with triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma, one of the most aggressive and deadly subtypes of breast cancer. I was at a complete loss for words. I left the clinic without saying anything. No questions or comments to my doctor, just nothing. I actually think I immediately began to grieve the rest of my life. I should have listened to my friends and family when they told me to stay off Google. Everything I read online told me that triple negative breast cancer is almost certainly a death sentence. I couldn’t help but think back to how awful it was to witness my mother’s cancer treatment, and ultimately, her death. I never wanted to have to go through what she did, but I didn’t have a choice. Nobody expects to die at 25 years old when their life has just begun. If being diagnosed with aggressive cancer was not terrifying enough, I then had to wait in limbo before I could begin treatment. I was put on the so-called “Red Devil” chemotherapy, and the name depicts exactly how powerful it is. Needless to say, this treatment regimen has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to go through. The week immediately after is when I usually get the worst side effects, including severe nausea, loss of taste, brain fog, shortness of breath, anemia and body aches. I just completed my fourth round of chemotherapy, and in January next year, I will have a double mastectomy to remove all breast tissue. Once I recover from surgery, I will then continue with immunotherapy for six to 12 months. It may be grueling, but I am so thankful to be receiving this life-saving treatment. Sure, it means at least one year of intense treatment, but if it’s a step towards saving my life, then so be it. ‘I Never Appreciated the Gift of Living’ Never in a million years did I think this is how our married lives would begin. I am so beyond thankful every day to have Malachi as my husband, caretaker, and support system. He seriously meant it when he vowed to care for me in sickness and in health—we just didn’t think it would happen so soon. It really does matter who you choose to spend the rest of your life with, so I’m incredibly glad I chose Malachi. He has taken me to every appointment, been by my side for every treatment, and takes care of me. I have learned a lot of lessons throughout the past four months, but the biggest one is to advocate for yourself. You understand your body better than anyone else, so you know when something is wrong. As annoying or insufferable as you may feel, it’s always better to feel bad for being pushy than to feel bad for ignoring your health concerns. Going through this has given me a new outlook on life. I never appreciated the gift of living, but now I wake up hungry for more of what life has to offer. Although at times I worry about what the future has in store, I am so beyond thankful to hopefully get to see it. Jaden Slaughter, 26, resides in Carlsbad, New Mexico, with her husband, Malachi Calderon. After a whirlwind few months that saw her get married and receive a cancer diagnosis, she has been documenting her experience on social media (@mothur on TikTok).By Alyce Collins and Jaden Slaughter0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.I close my eyes, take a deep breath in, and compose myself.

I’m standing on Eternity Beach in St. Lucia, arm-in-arm with my beloved father, waiting for the music to start. I hear the waves crashing in the Caribbean Ocean, and then the music begins, signaling my entrance.

As my father accompanied me down the aisle, I looked up and saw Malachi standing at the altar. He looks so handsome and all I could think was, this is it. We made it here and now this is just the beginning of our story. I truly am the luckiest person alive, I thought to myself.

Malachi and I tied the knot on June 5, 2026, and it was the happiest day of my life. Although, there was one nagging feeling I could not ignore. I remember trying so hard to forget about the sharp electric shocks that kept occurring in my left breast.

Following the ceremony, we danced the night away on the beach under the moonlight. It was the most incredible night seeing our families merge into one.

My father and I shared a dance to “Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac, a song my mom and I always loved to listen to together. My wedding was on the three-year anniversary of her death, as she passed away from colorectal cancer. While we danced, my dad told me how much I remind him of my mom, and I really could feel her presence with me.

At that point in time, I had so much excitement for the future and thought I knew exactly what it would look like.

To understand the full picture, we should rewind to March of this year.

I was trying on a new bra, and I felt this moveable but solid mass in my left breast. It was the size of a grape and seemed perfectly round, almost like a small rubber ball you’d get in a 25-cent machine.

It didn’t feel squishy like a cyst, it was rock hard. Of course, my brain immediately thought of the worst possible scenario: cancer. I searched the internet for breast cancer symptoms, and everything I found said that breast cancer tumors are immoveable and irregular.

People often talk about ignoring their instincts until the symptoms progressed, but here’s the thing, I did everything right from the start and it still took months to be heard.

On March 27, I went to see my primary care physician who felt the lump and told me it doesn’t seem like anything concerning. Undoubtedly, I was already worried, so I advocated for a breast ultrasound and got in the same day at our local hospital.

Truthfully, I think I was in such a rush to get answers because my mother’s cancer was discovered extremely late, and I did not want to end up the same way.

They told me I would get my results within a week, but three weeks later, I received a call from the hospital regarding my results. They scored my 1.5-centimeter mass as a three on the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS), which means it’s probably benign and low risk.

The recommendation was to come back in six months if I noticed any changes, and in the meantime I was referred to a local surgical center. It took about a month for the referral to be processed (likely because I was scored a three on the BI-RADS). I told the nurse that I started having electrical zaps in my breast and I could feel the tumor growing by the day, but again, her recommendation was to come back in six months. Still, I pushed for a biopsy, and they referred me to a breast imaging center three hours away in Lubbock, Texas.

Yet again, it took a while for them to arrange my appointment and I became frustrated. I was done playing the waiting game, and I told myself this was a sign from God that there wasn’t anything wrong. After all, I’m only 25, have no family history of breast cancer, and all my symptoms pointed to it being benign. So why am I putting all this energy into getting a biopsy?

Our destination wedding took place in the middle of that chaos, and it was a welcome distraction. But exactly two weeks after the wedding, I finally had my biopsy.

Neither my husband nor I thought that anything would come from it; we simply wanted to know what the mass was and why it was growing so quickly. At this point, the electrical zaps were also happening constantly.

As they were performing the ultrasound-guided biopsy, I asked the technician what size my mass was. It was 2.8cm by this point, so in just three months, it had doubled in size.

Several days passed and on June 24, I received a call.

“Jaden, you need to come in within the hour,” the doctor told me.

That’s odd, I thought to myself. Maybe my mass is growing so fast that they just want to remove it as quickly as possible. There’s no way it could be anything worse.

Mere weeks after the happiest day of my life came the worst.

On June 24, I was diagnosed with triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma, one of the most aggressive and deadly subtypes of breast cancer.

I left the clinic without saying anything. No questions or comments to my doctor, just nothing. I actually think I immediately began to grieve the rest of my life.

I should have listened to my friends and family when they told me to stay off Google. Everything I read online told me that triple negative breast cancer is almost certainly a death sentence.

I couldn’t help but think back to how awful it was to witness my mother’s cancer treatment, and ultimately, her death. I never wanted to have to go through what she did, but I didn’t have a choice.

Nobody expects to die at 25 years old when their life has just begun.

If being diagnosed with aggressive cancer was not terrifying enough, I then had to wait in limbo before I could begin treatment. I was put on the so-called “Red Devil” chemotherapy, and the name depicts exactly how powerful it is.

Needless to say, this treatment regimen has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to go through. The week immediately after is when I usually get the worst side effects, including severe nausea, loss of taste, brain fog, shortness of breath, anemia and body aches.

I just completed my fourth round of chemotherapy, and in January next year, I will have a double mastectomy to remove all breast tissue. Once I recover from surgery, I will then continue with immunotherapy for six to 12 months.

It may be grueling, but I am so thankful to be receiving this life-saving treatment. Sure, it means at least one year of intense treatment, but if it’s a step towards saving my life, then so be it.

Never in a million years did I think this is how our married lives would begin. I am so beyond thankful every day to have Malachi as my husband, caretaker, and support system. He seriously meant it when he vowed to care for me in sickness and in health—we just didn’t think it would happen so soon.

It really does matter who you choose to spend the rest of your life with, so I’m incredibly glad I chose Malachi. He has taken me to every appointment, been by my side for every treatment, and takes care of me.

I have learned a lot of lessons throughout the past four months, but the biggest one is to advocate for yourself. You understand your body better than anyone else, so you know when something is wrong. As annoying or insufferable as you may feel, it’s always better to feel bad for being pushy than to feel bad for ignoring your health concerns.

Going through this has given me a new outlook on life. I never appreciated the gift of living, but now I wake up hungry for more of what life has to offer. Although at times I worry about what the future has in store, I am so beyond thankful to hopefully get to see it.

Jaden Slaughter, 26, resides in Carlsbad, New Mexico, with her husband, Malachi Calderon. After a whirlwind few months that saw her get married and receive a cancer diagnosis, she has been documenting her experience on social media (@mothur on TikTok).