My mom is probably the strongest woman I know. She is the kind of person who can do anything she sets her mind to. From woodworking to cooking to all things crafty, my mom can do it. She is my definition of Superwoman. 🙂

One major example is the way she handled her breast cancer diagnosis. She wasn’t about to let it get her down or worry her.

When my mom told me seven years ago this month that she was having issues with her breast that seemed like mastitis I immediately started doing research. What I found wasn’t good. Everything led to breast cancer.

I called her and told her I wanted her to get to a doctor right away to get it checked out. My mom had been so busy making sure that I recovered from a terrible miscarriage, working as a school nurse, and taking care of foster kids that I was worried she wouldn’t take care of herself. (I’m the worrier, she is not.)

I should have known that God had it all under control.

Thankfully, my mom’s story has a happy ending and she has been able to enjoy adding four more grandchildren to our family since her diagnosis.

Today I want to share my mom’s story, in her own words.

My Mom’s Story

Being a nurse and working with young women I had often taught breast self-examination and shown videos produced and recommended by the American Cancer Society. I personally practiced the recommended monthly self-examination and got yearly mammograms.

In August of 2006 I began feeling vague discomfort in my right breast that felt more like muscular pain. I had been working in my yard and flower beds so I didn’t think too much about the pain. (At age 58, I was used to a few aches and pains after overdoing it with physical activity.)

The pain continued into September and settled into a sensation in my breast. I felt fullness in the breast, but no lump could be felt. We had so many things going on that I just ignored the discomfort. It was better some days and not much more than premenstrual tenderness used to be.

Jackie had a rough miscarriage on September 11th, loosing nearly 4 pints of blood and I had to call 911 just to get her to the hospital. Then 2 days later we got another foster girl who lived with us until after Thanksgiving. There was no time for me to complain.

By October 12th the pain got so bad trying to lie down to sleep that night. It felt like I had mastitis so I scheduled a mammogram for Monday, Oct 16th.

A few days after the mammogram what seemed to be pus came out of the nipple and I was put on antibiotics. Right away the breast seemed to return pretty much back to normal - the pain was gone. The doctor ordered another mammogram and a sonogram and all they ever told me they found were white dots of calcification - no tumor or mass.

I had my reports sent to a doctor at an area women’s clinic and about 4 weeks later, after I thought there was no problem, I was told to come in for a biopsy. The biopsy confirmed “ductal carcinoma in situ” (DCIS).

On Dec 14th, two months after the first mammogram, I had a mastectomy. I had a very easy recovery, no pain or complications. The drain was removed five days after surgery and the surgeon told me that there was no cancer in any of the five lymph nodes he removed. The cancer was contained within a 3 or 4 mm margin from the outer wall, which is a pretty narrow margin, but enough. That meant I was cancer free - no need for radiation or chemotherapy.

Nearly two weeks after surgery the staples were all removed and I was fitted with my first prosthesis and given a new bra.

I can’t explain the peace that I had from the time of the biopsy, as well as throughout the surgery and brief hospitalization, until now. I know that peace comes from God and was the result of all the prayers. I had never felt so lifted up to God in prayer as I did during this time.

I did not have any fear of the diagnosis, the surgery or the pathology report. I just kept claiming the verses in Psalm 103:2-3 “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

Three and a half years after my experience with DCIS, my older sister was diagnosed with the exact same type of breast cancer and also had a mastectomy. She had the same basic experience I had and did not have to have chemotherapy or radiation either.

It has been nearly seven years since I had the surgery. I am not sure why this happened to me, but I consider this just another adventure in life’s journey and not something terrible. We are very thankful to God for all He has done for us.

-Jenny

So what exactly is DCIS or Ductal Carcinoma in Situ?

Here is a description I found at Breast Cancer.org.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Ductal means that the cancer starts inside the milk ducts, carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues (including breast tissue) that cover or line the internal organs, and in situ means “in its original place.” DCIS is called “non-invasive” because it hasn’t spread beyond the milk duct into any normal surrounding breast tissue. DCIS isn’t life-threatening, but having DCIS can increase the risk of developing an invasive breast cancer later on.

When you have had DCIS, you are at higher risk for the cancer coming back or for developing a new breast cancer than a person who has never had breast cancer before. Most recurrences happen within the 5 to 10 years after initial diagnosis. The chances of a recurrence are under 30%.

Risk Factors for DCIS

Here are some risk factors of DCIS according to the Mayo Clinic.

-Increasing age
-Personal history of benign breast disease, such as atypical hyperplasia
-Family history of breast cancer
-First pregnancy after age 30
-Taking combination estrogen-progestin hormone replacement therapy after menopause
-Genetic mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer

I am thankful that my mom had an easily treatable form of breast cancer. I know many aren’t so lucky.

Have you or someone you love had breast cancer? I would love to hear your story.