Name: |
Adair |
State: | Minnesota |
Date of diagnosis: |
12/31/2014 |
Age at time of diagnosis: |
50 |
Stage of diagnosis: |
Stage 4 |
NORMAL mammogram: | within 9 months |
How was cancer diagnosed: | Rib cage pain led to diagnosis |
Adair's Story: I had a NORMAL mammogram in 2014. I received the post mammogram letter that reported, because of the recent Minnesota Density Reporting Law, that I had dense breast tissue, which I had known before BUT never knew its impact.
What I didn't know was that I had several tumors growing in both breasts, traveled to my lymph nodes and metastasized to my ovaries. What I didn't know was that the pain I was experiencing under my rib cage was NOT a gall bladder issue as my doctor thought, but metastatic lobular breast cancer traveling through my lymphatic system and slowly killing me. I didn't know that the swollen lymph nodes in my axilla, undetected by physician exam, were blocking the pleural fluid from around my lung and causing a slow pleural effusion.
I was a nurse, had a medical oncology background and never heard of the risks associated with dense breasts. I never had a physician discuss with me, post mammogram, the risks with dense breasts, especially the masking of cancer by mammogram.
I had ovarian debulking surgery in addition to a double mastectomy. Eleven lymph nodes were positive for cancer. I had twenty-four treatments of chemotherapy, along with 30 radiation treatments. I am on an aromatase inhibitor as my cancer is ER/PR +.
While having density reporting legislation is a first step in disclosing to the patient that she has dense breast tissue, health care providers must take the responsibility to discuss density and its impact with the patient.
Though I know the reality of my stage IV diagnosis is life threatening I am hopefully optimistic that being aggressive in my personal situation might get me a bit of time with my children 28,18, and 13.
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