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Gail Boren
In November 2007 I went in for my routine mammogram. After reviewing my mammogram, the technician told me they wanted to perform a breast sonogram. I wasn’t too nervous because I had this done to me before. The radiologist who reviewed the mammogram and sonogram told me that things were fine and to come back in a year. The report and findings were then sent on to my gynecologist. When my gyn got the report, she did not like the looks of it. I still remember getting the phone call from her suggesting that I see a breast specialist. I was hesitant to do this -- after all, the radiologist told me I was fine. I got through the holidays and in January of 2008, I made an appointment to see Dr. Scott Maizel at the GMBC breast center. He suggested that I get a biopsy. The results came back and I was told I had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). After researching this and learning much more about it, I felt incredibly grateful that my cancer was caught early and was non-invasive. If I had waited another year for my routine mammogram, it may not have been caught at such an early stage. I was also incredibly grateful to my gynecologist, Dr. Margaret Cyzeski, for carefully reviewing my results and suggesting I see a specialist.
This all came at a very trying time in my life. The month before I was diagnosed with DCIS, my mother was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer and was given six months to a year to live. My mother and I ended up being at GMBC hospital at the same time for our different surgeries -- my mother having part of her colon removed and me having a mastectomy and reconstruction. I was very lucky because I did not need to get radiation or chemotherapy since my cancer was caught early. I remember my brother wheeling my Mom into my hospital room after I was recovering from my surgery. We laughed about our hospital gowns and gave each other the strength and support we both needed at such difficult times in our lives. We could not have gotten through this without the support of our family, friends and the caring group of doctors and nurses.
I am a big proponent of women having mammograms in their 40’s -- even when there is no family history. Please don’t let the recent recommendations that women wait until 50 years of age to get a mammogram make you hesitant to get one in your 40’s. I was 45 at the time I was diagnosed and I had no family history of breast cancer. If I had waited until I was in my 50’s, there may have been a good chance that I would have been diagnosed with a more invasive breast cancer.
Today, I take nothing for granted. I have an incredibly loving husband and two teenage daughters who make me incredibly proud.
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