I was diagnosed at age 44 with breast cancer with lymph node involvement in April 2009. I had no family history and the tumors could not be felt nor even seen in a digital mammogram.
My yearly mammogram in Feb 2009 showed 2 clusters of calcifications which were looked at with unltrasound and biopsied and both came up negative. We decided to do a prophylactic double lumpectomy anyway. Five days later I got a call from the surgeon saying they found 2 independent malignant tumors, in different quadrants, embedded in the dense tissue. Wow, what if we had not been proactive? They said they didn't have an effective way to screen me for breast cancer in the future so I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction in May 2009, where they found the cancer in my left sentinel node. With tamoxafen, zoladex and prayer, I hope I will not have to face cancer again.
I am doing great now. I praise the Lord for my life and am thankful for my wonderful family and church family who have been so supportive and encouraging to me.
I am here to say, if you have dense breast, be careful and check out everything that comes up on your mammmogram and always request a digital mammogram.
Mammograms are not fool-proof but they are the best we have, along with MRIs.
Suffolk, VA
