Breast Cancer Patient Stories

In March 2022, my sister discovered a lump in her breast completely by accident. I consider myself pretty on top of these things, but I decided to do an impromptu self-exam and I also found a lump. From there, both of us went through mammograms, biopsies, and countless appointments before being diagnosed with breast cancer within a week of each other. It was surreal.

I’ve always been a healthy, active person. I don’t take any medications, I eat the best I can, and I walk at least two miles every day. I also get my routine mammogram every year.

In November 2023, I went in for my annual screening. Several days later, my doctor called to tell me they’d found a suspicious area, so I needed to go back for a follow-up mammogram and an ultrasound. After that, a biopsy confirmed that I had breast cancer.

Like a lot of people in 2020, my mammogram was postponed due to the pandemic.

When I finally had it done in 2021, I got a letter a few weeks later telling me I needed more scans. I went back in, and after they took some more scans, the radiologist told me I also needed an ultrasound.

By then I was thinking, “This is really weird, I’ve never had to do this before.”

When COVID-19 hit, I decided it was time to retire from a lifetime of teaching art and do more traveling with my partner Joe. We purchased a tiny trailer and spent a year and a half visiting family and scenic vistas. Our travels were put on hold, however, when I was diagnosed with not one but two cancers.

In early February, 2022, I noticed a small lump in my breast. In the past I had breast cysts, and I assumed that was what this new lump would be. Based on my 25-plus years of work in medical, and specifically, cancer research, I made sure I went for my regular mammogram every year.