Nancy's Story from Utah

Four days after my husband, Bill and I returned from our honeymoon, I received a telephone call from IHC with information requesting that I go in for a mammogram. As I was listening to the caller go on about breast cancer awareness, in my head I was saying to myself that a mammogram was the last thing I wanted to do.

I had not been screened while I was in England on a year and a half mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I had not gone in for a screening after returning home. So, it had been about two years since my previous screening.

I was not anxious to go in at that time either. In fact, having a mammogram was the last thing I wanted to do! However, when the caller was at the end of her "info-mercial" she asked if she could make an appointment for me to have a mammogram. I heard myself answer, "Yes, how soon can we set it up." I wondered whose voice that was, speaking those words!

An appointment was made for January 16th.....two weeks away. Bill and I went to the hospital, everything was rather routine, and I waited to hear the results. No telephone call, no post card, nothing until the end of January. Then I received a post card stating that there was a problem with the mammogram and would I come in for another one! So, I telephoned the hospital and asked for another appointment....which was for February 6th.

On February 6th Bill and I returned to the hospital for the follow-up. The technician said that it may have been some little movement that did not give a clear mammogram. But, when she finished, she took the film to her director to confirm the x-ray. He came in and reviewed the film with me. He turned the computer screen so that I could see what he was seeing. I had had two lumpectomies before and I knew what clusters of calcification looked like, but there were two black "blobs" in the left breast and I asked what they were. He answered that that was what they were trying to determine.

I then asked what cancer looked like, and he said "pretty much like that" as he pointed to the black blobs. He suggested a needle biopsy to confirm what the blobs were. We made an appointment for the same afternoon and went home for some lunch. Bill gave me a blessing and we prayed together before returning for the biopsy. The worst part of the biopsy....apart from the pain of that very long needle, was the wait for the results.

The biopsy was done on Monday, we had to wait until Wednesday for the results. Bill is an LDS temple worker, and I serve as a Church Service Missionary at the Family History Library on Wednesdays, so it wasn't until 4:30 that I was able to call the hospital for the results. They confirmed that it was cancer.

I then began the search for a surgeon, a hospital, a plastic surgeon, anesthesiologists, etc. that would be within my insurance coverage. I was not able to set up the surgery until March 15th of 2006. Surprisingly, it was done as an out-patient surgery! The surgeon found that it was not two little cancerous growths, it was one very large tumor that was folded up like a pancake and so only the two tip-ends of the tumor showed on the mammogram. She performed a complete mastectomy.

Because there were no lymph nodes involved I did not have to undergo any radiation therapy. Then the oncologist asked if I was willing to send the tumor for some further testing to a lab in California. I agree to the testing, knowing that there was a possibility that it would not be covered by my insurance, and would probably cost about $3,500. for the test. When the test came back I was told by the oncologist that the test is rated from one to 100. The closer the score was to 100, the more aggressive the treatments should be. He told me that my score was five! He said that he had never had a score come back that low, and further, that chemotherapy would not reduce my chance of further cancerous tumors! I have been on aromatase inhibitors for the past 19 months and very careful to watch for further lumps.

I know that I am very blessed to have gone through this with these particular results. I know that I am not in the same "league" as other women who have suffered far worse in their battle against breast cancer. I am very appreciative of every effort made to help find a cure, and support others who are still struggling with the aftermath of breast cancer.

Thanks for what you and your organization are doing. Best wishes to you.

Salt Lake City, Utah