Survivor’s Stories

Kathy | Dedicated to tomorrow’s growth.

I didn’t have a family history of breast cancer, at least that I knew of, my mother had never been for a mammogram. So at age 36, I asked my OB/GYN for a baseline mammogram. That mammogram was normal.

When I was about to turn 40, I asked my mom to get a mammogram with me hoping we could turn it into a “girls’ day out.” Although she didn’t want to go, I followed through with my appointment. That mammogram showed two small tumors in the milk ducts of my left breast.

At first I was referred to a general surgeon.  I was advised that a lumpectomy followed by two months of radiation would cure me of my disease. But I really felt I needed to consult with a breast cancer specialist. Being a registered nurse, I called upon my friends who were physicians in the community. It was then that I was referred to The Yale-New Haven Breast Center where I would meet with Dr. Lannin, their Executive Director.

Dr. Lannin reviewed my films and pathology reports from the biopsy that confirmed that indeed I did have ductal carcinoma. It was his expertise that saved my life. He knew that the way the tumors were situated that the cancer was spreading. He very caringly told me that if I had a lumpectomy, I would be doing myself a huge injustice. He was confident that a lumpectomy was not the best option for me and that a mastectomy was necessary in my case.

I have a chronic GI disorder called Crohn’s Disease. Dr. Lannin knew that if I had the lumpectomy, that I would require not only radiation, but chemotherapy, as well. We discussed the side effects of adjuvant cancer treatments and how that would affect my underlying illness. We discussed how nausea and vomiting would prevent me from taking my current medication regime, and how subsequent weakness would really affect my ability to care for my children.

Worried about a recurrence in the other breast, Dr. Lannin quoted statistics of the cancer coming back in the unaffected breast. Each year the probability would increase. I remember thinking, “I have a different agenda in my life. I have graduations to go to, weddings to go to, and grandchildren to hold… I don’t want to go to bed every night worrying about when it will come back in the other breast!”  It was then that we made the decision to have a double mastectomy. The mastectomy pathology later showed that Dr. Lannin was absolutely right. The cancer had spread across my left breast, and it was no longer contained within the ducts. The cancer was now invading the surrounding tissue.

After the surgery, I went to four oncologists for opinions on follow-up treatment. As Dr. Lannin had predicted, no one felt that radiation or chemotherapy was indicated. Had I taken the advice of the first surgeon, I would have lived the nightmare that Dr. Lannin played out for me.  I do take a pill every day called Tamoxifen to help prevent a recurrence. There has been great success with the use of this medication over the past 20 years, and the side effects are minimal.
As a mother of three daughters, I was very concerned about their risk of developing breast cancer and decided to utilize the resources and expertise of the Yale Cancer Center Genetic Counseling Program.  I met with Rachel Barnett, who reviewed my family history and the results of my genetic testing with me.  Thankfully, I am not a carrier of any of the genes that predispose breast cancer.  I am grateful to have the knowledge that genetic counseling provides, both to cancer survivors like myself and their entire families.

I am so enjoying being a mom to my daughters. My family is the most important thing in my life. I honestly feel that out of something bad, something good always comes. It is my hope to increase awareness that breast cancer is no longer your “grandmother’s disease”, and that young women need to get screened.  Since my surgery, my mom has been for two mammograms, and we both believe that early detection is an important first step in surviving cancer.