Anna: Breast Cancer Survivor Since 2007

In October of 2008 while Anna was watching Oprah Winfrey, Christina Appelgate was sharing her own breast cancer story and family history with this disease.   Anna had known about breast self-exams but she hadn’t been good at or consistent with performing monthly breast self- exams. Although she is a dental hygienist and is familiar with performing oral cancer checks on people every day which makes her aware of what cancer can feel and look like.  But, out of fear of actually finding something in her body she had been neglectful in doing her breast self-exams for years!  That day she felt that God stepped in and brought the show to her attention which made her at that moment to do a breast self- exam and she found a change in her breast! Anna says she immediately went through the whole fear of denial and told herself that she was paranoid because of the show.  She continued performing breast self-exams for the next few days and knew that she had indeed found a lump on her right breast. 

Anna called her OBGYN, who tried to assure her it was probably nothing because she was young, never smoked, breastfed her children, wasn't over weight and had a recent normal mammogram, etc.   Anna said she knew at this point that she had detected a lump.   She says that, “I cannot stress enough the importance of taking your health into your own hands! Doctors mean well and want us healthy but, we don't all fit into statistical categories and we all know our bodies better than anyone if we just pay attention to them”.  Anna insisted on having an ultrasound done of the area.  The tech wasn’t able to locate the lump even though Anna pointed out the area so a radiologist came in and eventually found it. But, not before having yet another mammogram done that again came back normal! Fast forward to a month later where she chose to undergo a lumpectomy to get official diagnosis of stage 2 lobular breast cancer with lymph node metastasis.  She chose to do a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction even though the left side came back completely fine.

Anna says that she learned many things during this time, “You are never too young to have cancer even if there is no family history and all of the other risk factors aren't against you.  Most importantly do your breast self-exams regularly because, mammograms are an important part but may not detect everything. Be pro-active! The earlier you find something the better!! Had I not missed all those years of checking I might have found it much earlier!!  I am a mother of two daughters and want them to feel confident they know how to take care of their breast health!”