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Mom's 'Mind-Blowing' Eye Symptom Preceded Breast Cancer Diagnosis
13 Nov
Summary
- Kelly Mann experienced recurring pink eye infections for months before breast cancer diagnosis
- Her eye symptoms were actually episcleritis, a condition linked to her underlying cancer
- Mann underwent 12 rounds of chemo, mastectomy, and reconstruction after stage 2 diagnosis
In November 2025, Kelly Mann, a 38-year-old university professor from Abilene, Texas, is sharing the "mind-blowing" symptom she experienced over two years ago that preceded her breast cancer diagnosis.
In April 2023, Mann started suffering from recurring pink eye infections that would not go away with antibiotic eye drops. This cycle continued for several months until she discovered a lump in her breast while watching TV in June 2023. After a mammogram and biopsy, Mann was devastated to learn she had stage 2 breast cancer, just a week before her 36th birthday.
Remarkably, Mann's persistent eye issues turned out to be episcleritis, a condition of swelling and redness in the eye's white tissue that can be associated with underlying inflammatory conditions. After her first round of chemotherapy in 2023, the pink eye symptoms resurfaced, confirming the connection between her eye and breast cancer.
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Mann underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, and breast reconstruction over the following year and a half. Now a cancer survivor, she is using her social media platform to share her journey and raise awareness about episcleritis as an early warning sign of breast cancer, hoping to help other young women like herself.
