Hi friends! I’m back. In true Katy and Laurel style, we officially launch our blog and then go radio silent. Why you ask? Life, plain and simple. Perhaps someday we will be able to more consistently entertain you with our content but for now, please bear with us as we navigate our busy lives and write when we can.
I had intended to publish this post yesterday but as I mentioned, life happened. Yesterday marked six months since my bilateral (double) mastectomy! And since it is still October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it important to share my story.
It all started with a trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. At the end of February, my husband and I visited Mayo Clinic to participate in their Executive Wellness Program, a visit that was prompted by a friend’s cancer diagnosis. We endured two and a half days of appointments and testing. We were both deemed to be in good health all around except that I was called back for a second mammogram. This wasn’t the first time I’d been called back for additional imaging as I have dense breast tissue so I wasn’t too concerned nor was my doctor.
Long story short, the diagnostic mammogram turned into a biopsy, which turned into an ultrasound, and then on March 7th, I received the official diagnosis of noninvasive, stage 0, intermediate to high grade, non-hormone positive, DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). In other words, I had cancer cells encapsulated in a 5 cm portion of a milk duct in my right breast.
The good news was that it was caught early, my prognosis with treatment was excellent, and I was told it should not impact my general life expectancy. The unfortunate news was that due to the size and location of the cancerous area, I was not a good candidate for a lumpectomy (removal of the affected area only). So I was given the option of a single or double mastectomy. I will never forget the day that bomb was dropped as I was not prepared for it. I remember looking at my husband and feeling absolutely numb.
It took quite sometime for me to wrap my head around the diagnosis and recommended treatment plan but at the same time things progressed so quickly that I didn’t have a lot of time to process. I felt like I was in a fog for weeks, hoping and praying that I would wake up from the nightmare I had been thrown into.
After taking many things into consideration, I decided on a double mastectomy with reconstruction. My initial surgery (mastectomy to temporary expanders) was scheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd at Mayo. It was a long day as we left our hotel room at 5:30am and didn’t return until almost 8:30pm. The surgery itself was over six hours long. In the early morning hours when meeting with the anesthesiologist, he told me that the risk of being under anesthesia each hour was about the same as driving on a highway in a vehicle for an hour. So the first thing I said when I woke up was “Well, I survived the trip!” The nurse had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.
The worst part about going into the surgery (other than the obvious, that my breasts were being amputated) was that I didn’t know exactly what to expect upon waking up. Of course we had a plan (nipple-sparring, double mastectomy to expanders) and a belief that the cancer was still non-invasive but nothing was guaranteed until the surgeons were in. I tried to remain positive but the not-knowing was terrifying.
Thankfully, the surgery went well and as planned. More importantly, frozen sample pathology run in real time during the surgery (unique-ish to Mayo) looked really good and the biopsied lymph nodes were clear…so much so that my surgeon deemed me CANCER FREE when she visited me in recovery. What a relief that was because it meant I didn’t have to undergo any additional treatments.
The road to recovery has been long and ongoing. The first few weeks were the worst but as I look back now, six months out, I am amazed at how well our bodies heal and minds adjust. With that said, I still have range of motion and pain issues in my arms and shoulders. And I have yet to look at my incisions or my breasts longer than a quick glance. I am still awaiting my exchange surgery when the temporary expanders will be replaced with implants (hopefully in February). But most importantly, I have a new appreciation for life. I understand much more clearly now that time is not guaranteed nor is physical health or mobility so I try my hardest to embrace life and live each moment to its fullest and with deep gratitude.
So my PSA to the ladies is: schedule your mammograms and remind your friends to do the same! Men: share my story with the lovely ladies in your lives. I had no lump that was detectable by touch. This early stage of breast cancer can only be detected by imaging. I also had no family history and genetic testing came back negative. I definitely never thought breast cancer would be part of my story and I honestly didn’t know anything about DCIS. Since my diagnosis in March, I have personally known five other women of varying ages who have also received a breast cancer diagnosis. I am hopeful that in sharing, my story can help someone else. There is hope and healing on the other side. We are stronger than cancer.
Lo+Mo 
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