"Hope"
16" x 20"
Acrylic on canvas
Jenny's Story
Diagnosed May 2006 at age 37
My mom and my aunt had breast cancer, so I started getting mammograms at age 30 because of my increased risk of developing the disease. My mom was 57 and my aunt was 65, so I figured it was just a precaution to start at 30 and I had nothing to worry about for several years.
On March 29, 2006, I had my annual “squeeze” test and I got the all-clear post card about 2 weeks later. Less than a week later, I stumbled over a lump in the shower. Despite the family history, I wasn’t particularly vigilant about self-exams, so I was lucky to have found it.
I initially dismissed the lump because I had just had the mammogram, but when it didn’t go away after 2 weeks, I started to get a little worried. My husband and friends insisted I go to the doctor, so I did.
I had to show the doc where the lump was, but he felt like it was no big deal and probably a result of me coming off of birth control 6 months earlier. Thankfully, the family history prompted him to send me for a repeat mammogram, just in case.
The next day at Telfair Women’s Hospital, they cut right to the chase and skipped the repeat mammogram in favor of an ultrasound. After all, I had just been there 5 weeks prior and there was nothing found. On the ultrasound, the spot was obvious, even to me. The radiologist ordered a biopsy for the following Tuesday. I still figured it was nothing because I wasn’t supposed to get breast cancer until I was at least 55, just like my mom and aunt. 37 was just too young for breast cancer in my family.
At the biopsy, I got no indication of what the results might be. On Thursday, afternoon, I got a call from the manager of nurses at Telfair asking if I could come over right away to discuss the results. I fell apart at work and thankfully, my best friend/co-worker insisted on going with me. My husband on a plane headed home from a business trip.
When I got to Telfair, I was immediately ushered back to the conference room where a radiologist and a patient navigator from the Lewis Cancer Center were waiting on me. I knew exactly what I was about to hear.
As a mother of two young children and a family history of breast cancer, I didn’t want to go through this experience again, so I opted to have a bi-lateral mastectomy, with simultaneous reconstruction. This was followed by 6 rounds of chemotherapy and 34 rounds of radiation. I am also participating in a 5 year clinical trial specifically for younger women, but it comes with the fun of early, and in may case permanent menopause.
I think my family history of breast cancer is the only thing that prompted my doctor to send me back to Telfair. There are many women without a family history that might have been dismissed given a similar situation. This is why I feel strongly that all women need to advocate for their own health, educate themselves, and do regular self breast exams. As my case is proof, mammograms are not 100% reliable in any woman and are especially inaccurate in women under 40. No woman should count on it as their only screening mechanism.
There is nothing like cancer to make you sit up and take inventory of your life. My husband and I have come to realize what really matters – family, friends, and health. We also learned through the experience what an incredible support system we have and we recognized how truly blessed we are.
My daughter once asked me what my favorite age was. I thought for about 2 seconds and said “whatever age I am at the moment you ask me”. I just feel fortunate to be here answering the question.
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