At 44, Breast Cancer was something I thought I would never get. I would support the Avon walks, make meals for those who were battling cancer and click away for free mammograms. I would even walk by the new women's hospital in Chicago and think I'll never be there. Little did I know what was lurking in my body.
I went in for my routine mammo in July 2009. There was a concern. I had three biopsies and one revealed a 2 mm, grade 1 area of Invasive Ductal Cancer. I opted to have a bilateral masectomy and scheduled it ASAP!
My surgery took place on 9/28/09. When the pathology report came back, the results were as follows: Stage 1, 6 mm of DCIS, grade 1, ER/PR+, HER2- & the radiologist sucked all the cancer out it during the biopsy. THe surgeon told me that he was 98% positive I would not need chemo & would never be bothered by this again! He was right. The oncologist met with me and told me I did not need chemo or homronal therapy.
We had meals scheduled for two weeks and ended up with 5 weeks. People just wanted to help! It was such an outpouring of love from our community.
I am a teacher & found this experience to be a great teaching experience. My children have "thrown out" the first basketball at a Breast Cancer Awareness basektball game. My students raised over $100 for Relay for Life, just so they could throw a pie in my face. My boys even get excited to see an athlete wearing pink. I just had my tisse expanders removed & implants put in place and feeling great. I do believe the cancer has been a positive hurdle for me and my family.
Chciago, IL
