A routine mammogram saved my life

 

First published in Parys Gazette on 24 September 2020

I went for my first-ever routine mammogram in December 2017 when I was 43 years old. It showed no signs of malignancy. In July 2019, I decided to go for another screening, and the clinical report stated in big, bold letters: BIRADS category 5–85 per cent chance for malignancy.

A second opinion at a different radiologist confirmed that I should go for a biopsy and a few days later, I received the devastating news: I have Stage 2 lobular pleomorphic breast cancer that is positive for hormone receptors and the HER-2 protein.

I’ve learnt that there are many different types of breast cancer. My kind of cancer affects less than five per cent of breast cancer patients worldwide and it has a poorer prognosis than other breast cancers.

The tumour in my right breast was small – it only measured 15 mm, which is why I did not feel a lump during my self-examinations that I do religiously.

But because lobular pleomorphic breast cancer is such an aggressive form of cancer that often later also affects the other breast, I opted for a double mastectomy. To my surprise, I found out that my entry-level hospital plan covers breast reconstruction as part of the oncology benefits for breast cancer. So, on 1 September 2019, I went into theatre at 10:00 and came out just after 13:00, with two new breasts!

The good news was that the surgeon successfully removed the tumour. The biopsies of nine lymph nodes confirmed that the cancer has not spread. However, because my kind of cancer gets its food from my hormones and a protein called HER-2, the risk of cancer recurring is high. Therefore, I opted for 18-weeks of chemotherapy that started at the end of October.
The oncologist also prescribed three other drugs as part of my breast cancer treatment. Herceptin is an injection that is administered once every three weeks over 14 months. Zoladex is a small patch that is injected under the skin once every three months over two years. And Tamoxifen is a tablet that I take every day for the next five years.

Since July 2019, I have had five surgeries and there are two more scheduled over the next couple of months. I finished a gruelling 18-week-long treatment plan with chemotherapy every Friday. During that time, I lost my income, my hair, my self-confidence and my mind. I gained a lot of weight and was diagnosed with depression. But I pushed through.

In August 2020, one year after my diagnosis, I went for x-rays and an ultrasound that confirmed that I am cancer-free. Although I remain at risk for cancer to reoccur over the next five to ten years, I am alive and slowly starting to feel myself again. A routine mammogram saved my life!