October

I wish, oh how I wish that other cancers got the support that breast cancer does…

October is Breast Cancer month and even though my focus is on Lung Cancer I should not forget that I am a Breast Cancer survivor going on two years.  I am not sure if I ever shared the events on how my cancer was discovered but it is important that you know so here it is.

In May of 2007 I went in for a follow-up check to my hysterectomy and at the time I mentioned to my Colorado doctor that I had a pea size lump close to my nipple in my left breast.  She touched it and said it is most likely just a cyst so don’t worry.  I didn’t.

A year later we had moved to Oklahoma and I had a mammogram done in July of 2008.  I did not read the report but my doctor said that all was well and I should have another one the following year.  Had I read the report I might be in a different place today.  The report clearly said ‘a few scattered appearing calcifications noted’.  This doctor did not know I had a pea size lump and I did not know what the report really said so I went on with my life.

By February of 2009 the lump had started to grow, I suspected the worst but hoped for the best and decided in my not so ‘infinite wisdom’ to keep my mouth shut and wait until after we had taken our first and final family trip to Europe.  Pat, Michelle and her husband Kevin, Michael and I went on an unforgettable trip to Ireland and Italy in May/June of 2009.

In July I had a new mammogram done where they identified the tumor, did an MRI and a biopsy to confirm.  I was then diagnosed with ‘Invasive Ductal Carcinoma’ considered stage 3 because it was over an each big.  I then had a PET scan and it showed the tumor as growing but no signs of it in my lymph nodes.  Unfortunately it showed two small spots in my lungs but they were too small to biopsy.

The recommendation was to focus on the breast cancer, have 4 rounds of chemo of Taxotere and Cytoxan and then a mastectomy.  After searching and second opinion I choose to move forward with the 4 rounds of chemo and a double mastectomy…  Funny to think now that my main reason for the double mastectomy was that I did not want to deal with cancer in the future…  Little did I know.

Keep in mind that I had a pretty good attitude, so much so that I chose when to cut my hair, when to shave my head and I had four wigs, a blond, strawberry blond, wine red hair and a brunette with highlights (thanks to Pam), just to be different.

The chemo worked so well that the tumor reduced to less than half and the cancer was changed to stage 2.  Because I am post menopausal I take Femara and will continue to take for 5 years.  My follow-up reports indicate that my breast cancer has not returned therefore making me a two year survivor.

All this to say that my treatment for breast cancer has worked, the advancements made in diagnosing and treating breast cancer are incredible and it is all thanks to the support we give to the cause and the awareness we receive every October.

Lessons learned:

   1.Yearly Mammogram, yearly mammograms, yearly mammograms… can’t cure without a diagnosis

   2. Read your own report…  ALWAYS, and ask many, many questions.

   3. Do not leave any stone unturned.  If they see something, make them investigate.  No one knows if I would be in a better situation if I had forced them to find out what the two spots in my lung were.

   4.Always get a second opinion as there are so many options out there.

   5.  Stop smoking, drink less and eat better

   6.  Support your local Breast Cancer research center

   7.  And don’t forget the mammogram

Love you,

ME

PS. Please share this story with everyone you can as it might save someone’s life