By Sonja Reece for Advocate BroMenn Medical Center
It was 1985, and I was working at what was then BroMenn Healthcare when I found that thing that all women fear: a lump in my breast. Working in healthcare, I knew the importance of quick action. I called my internist to get a mammogram order, and radiology agreed to work me in. I stood by the radiologist while he read the image. “What advice would you have if I were your sister?” I asked. He replied, “I’d say get it checked now!”
The biopsy came back positive for cancer. It was Christmas week. I worked with my surgeon to get a mastectomy scheduled for Monday. On Friday afternoon, before the procedure, I decided to talk with a surgical floor nurse about what to expect. She mentioned immediate reconstruction, which I hadn’t considered. I called the plastic surgeon to learn more. He had me come right over to his office to evaluate if I was a good candidate for the procedure.
After determining I was realistic in my expectations, he invited me and my husband to meet him at his office on Sunday afternoon (yes, Sunday) to discuss the reconstruction. He knows these procedures go better if the spouse understands what to expect.
I had the surgery and reconstruction the next day. While there, the surgeon biopsied the other side. The following day he brought “good news and bad news.” Good news: No cancer in 31 lymph nodes. Bad news: breast cancer was starting in other breast.
I told him I “wasn’t doing anything the rest of the week,” so let’s go do the second mastectomy. He agreed. I jokingly told the plastic surgeon, “With my luck, you won’t have another prosthesis that is the same size!” They are sized by the cc of fluid they contain. He assured me that no one would notice the difference if one side was 25 cc smaller than the other. He was right.
The second mastectomy with reconstruction was done, and I spent New Year’s in the hospital. Our son came in to watch a movie with us and brought popcorn. Two days later, the surgeon un-wrapped my bandaged chest and discovered a piece of popcorn had fallen in my “new” cleavage. We laughed as he declared that was a first!
Since both breasts were gone and my lymph nodes were all clean, the oncologists didn’t see the need for any post-op treatment. Even with all those lymph nodes removed, I didn’t get edema in my arms — a common side effect. That was the end of the story… for twenty-three years.
The story resumes in 2008. I was facing new issues: My cholesterol was too high. My hair was getting thin. I had brown spots in various places. One of those spots saved my life. I pulled back my prosthetic breast to examine a brown spot and felt a nodule: small, the size of a grain of corn. Could my prosthesis be leaking? A call to my internist sent me back to radiology, this time for an MRI. The results indicated I had another breast cancer tumor growing between my skin and prosthesis.
How could that be? I didn’t have any breasts. I was told it is impossible to remove all the breast tissue, and breast cancer can grow anytime it finds a few cells. Yikes!
A quick lumpectomy was done, but the edges were not clean of cancer tissue, so back to surgery I went to remove the prosthesis.
What was new this time: A PET scan, which looks for rapidly growing cells “from your eyes to your thighs.” My results were clean.
What’s also new: Today they can test the tumor for the number of abnormal genes as an indicator of the likelihood the cancer will come back. Not surprising… I had a high likelihood, so I needed to be aggressive with treatment.
Also new this time: my oncologist referred me to a research center to get another opinion. Both agreed on the type of chemo and radiation that would be most effective. I was able to get both right here in Normal at the Community Cancer Center. Amazingly, I didn’t lose my hair during the chemo. Then I had 33 radiation treatments. The radiation team and I got so efficient, I could pull in the parking lot, get my radiation, and be back in my car in 19 minutes!
It’s now 2016 and I’m still working at what is now Advocate BroMenn Medical Center. I finished five years of medications three years ago.
I feel so blessed to be fine today. Even so, I will keep watching. My message to you is if you find something, don’t ignore it. When you treat it, don’t assume it won’t come back. This story is true for men, too. Breast cancer is a relentless disease. You must be relentless, too.
Sonja Reece is director of health facilities planning for Advocate Health Care. She was a member of the Normal Town Council from 1991 to 2015.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. When was your last mammogram? Advocate BroMenn Medical Center offers state-of-the-art 3D mammograms at two locations in Bloomington-Normal: at the hospital’s Women’s Center, 1304 Franklin Ave., Normal; and at the Advocate Outpatient Center, 3024 E. Empire St., Bloomington (across from the airport).
Beginning in October, the Outpatient Center will offer the Automated Breast Ultrasound System (ABUS), which, when combined with mammography, is a more accurate method of screening for women with dense breast tissue. Same-day appointments and 24-hour results are available in most cases. For an appointment at either location, call 1-800-3-ADVOCATE (1-800-323-8622). For more information about breast cancer, visit storiesofthegirls.com.
Photo courtesy of Advocate BroMenn Medical Center