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Dr. Theda Kontis
I didn’t have time in my busy schedule for breast cancer.
My name is Dr. Theda Kontis. I grew up in South Florida, went to college at Duke, medical school at
Wake Forest and did my surgical residency at Johns Hopkins (I try to stay with ACC schools!). In 1994,
I joined Dr. Ira Papel in the practice of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. In 2002, my practice
was thriving and my daughter was 5 years old. During a routine mammogram, the radiologist, Dr. Irene
Kostrubiak, called me into the X-ray reading room, showed me 5 little calcifications on my mammogram
and told me I needed a biopsy. I informed her that I had no breast lump, no family history of breast
cancer, I felt just fine and I didn’t really have time to work this into my schedule. She told me that having
a biopsy was really "non-negotiable" and sent me to see Dr. Michael Schultz.
I had the biopsy, still thinking that this was a supreme waste of my time. Three days later, Dr. Schultz
told me I had breast cancer. I was in shock; my world was suddenly turned upside down. Maybe this
was God’s way of telling me to slow down and to cherish every day. My team, Dr. John Fetting, Dr. Eva
Zinreich, and Dr. Schultz walked me through a care plan, which involved lumpectomy, post operative
radiation therapy, and a 5 year course of Tamoxifen. I am here today because of the excellent care I
received from my physicians. I am grateful to them all, and I continue to be thankful for every day.
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