In June of 1993, I was taking a shower when I felt a hard lump on my left breast. I thought perhaps I had injured myself while exercising, so I ignored it and decided to wait a couple of weeks before making an appointment with my doctor. Two weeks later, the lump was still there. I called my doctor, and she gave me an appointment to see her that same day. She examined me and decided that 1.) I needed to have a mammogram and 2.) I needed to see a surgeon. I had always had very lumpy breasts and had been seeing a surgeon for this condition (cystic mastitis) for many years, so he knew my history and my breast anatomy quite well.

She called the surgeon's office, and he gave me an appointment to see him that same day, but before seeing him, I went to our local hospital for a mammogram. The radiologist came in to see me after the examination, he said everything looked fine, that he could see nothing there, and he recommended I have an ultrasound examination of the breast.

I went to see my surgeon who thought the lump was probably a benign fibroadenoma, and he decided not to do an ultrasound exam but to do a biopsy instead. He scheduled me for a biopsy which was performed on June 30. While performing the biopsy, he said that it looked benign. I was brought to the Recovery Room to wait for the results of the frozen section. About 15 minutes later, my surgeon walked into the Recovery Room, and one look at his face confirmed my fears. He told me the lump was malignant and that I had breast cancer. I was devastated. He gave me an appointment to see him in his office later that afternoon so we could discuss my options.

On July 6, 1993, I went to the hospital for surgery. I was told that if he could get clean margins, he would do a lumpectomy. I was wheeled into the Operating Room, and the last thing I told the doctor before being given anesthesia was to take both breasts if necessary - they were only window dressing - and that I chose life. He reassured me that this would probably not be necessary.

When I awoke, I saw the faces of my husband and a good friend who came to stay with my husband during my surgery, and they both told me that I had clean margins and the surgeon was confident that he had removed all the cancer. The next hurdle I had to face was the results of my lymph node dissection, and it was uncertain whether I would have the pathology results during my hospital stay. The day I was scheduled to leave, the surgeon came in to see me with a HUGE smile on his face and told me that 21 lymph nodes were cancer free. He said I had an 85% chance of being completely cured.

I left the hospital after a 3-day stay and was given an appointment to see both a radiation and medical oncologist to discuss treatment options. As my tumor was estrogen-receptor negative, both chemotherapy and radiation were recommended. I was quite apprehensive about chemotherapy as my mother had undergone a course of chemotherapy for lung cancer many years prior to my breast cancer, and I remembered how sick and debilitated the treatment had made her. My husband and I discussed everything, and I decided to go ahead with chemotherapy. I felt that I needed to do everything I possibly could to insure my survival. I had too much to live for. I had a marvelous husband, two handsome sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a precious grandson.

I had chemotherapy first and had 6 cycles of CMF which is a combination of 3 cancer-fighting drugs. While I felt very nauseated and tired during my treatment, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected it to be. I lost most of my hair and wore a wig both during my treatments and for many months following the treatments, but I was alive, and that was what mattered most. After chemotherapy, I had 6 weeks of radiation therapy, and then, finally, it was over, and I could resume a normal life again - well practically normal. I still had to see my medical oncologist every 3 months for blood tests. The visits were extended to every 4 months, and as of my last visit, I only have to see him every 6 months.

Having cancer has had a great impact on my life, but in a very positive way. I am so grateful to be alive and to be able to enjoy my friends and family. I cherish that. I received so much support from them during my treatments that I felt I needed to repay my good fortune by helping others through what is a horrible nightmare. I trained as a Reach to Recovery volunteer and also became the Coordinator of the Women's Cancer Forum on The Microsoft Network where I am able to give support to others who are facing the horrors of breast cancer.

Please, if you feel a lump in your breast, no matter how small, have it examined. Don't wait, and don't ever let a doctor tell you it is nothing. Even if nothing shows up on mammogram, demand that the lump be biopsied. Mammography may be the best tool we have for early detection of breast cancer, but 15% of all breast lumps don't show up in a mammogram. Take it one step further with biopsy. That is the only definitive test.

Breast cancer has no mercy. It attacks women of all ages, all faiths, all colors. Don't let anyone tell you that you are too young to have breast cancer. Breast cancer doesn't know how old you are.

Last but not least, please, please, please do regular breast self-exams. They should be done every month. The best time to perform this exam is following your menstrual cycle as the breasts will be less lumpy at that time.

If I hadn't performed a BSE on myself, I might not be alive today.

Ronnee

View My Guestbook  Sign My Guestbook