Never Say Never
-by Arvilla Felten, RN, PHN, BSN
Faith Community Nurse at Lakewood EFC, Baxter, MN
The beads I’m wearing show the size of breast lumps that can be detected. What size do you want that lump to be when you find it?
- If you have regular mammograms, it can find a lump the size of a piece of rice.
- If you miss a couple of years between mammograms, the lump may be the size of peas.
- If you do your self – exam monthly, the lump you find may be the size of a dime.
- If you miss several months between your self-exam, the lump may be the size of a quarter.
- If you never do your self-exam and you never have a mammogram, by the time you accidently bump yourself/your breast, the size of the lump will be the size of a fifty cent piece.
As a 23 year breast cancer survivor, I’ve had regular mammograms every year, but a couple of years ago, it showed some changes. I was called back for an ultrasound and a ultrasound biopsy was done. I received a phone call telling me the biopsy was negative. I consulted a surgeon and told him I’m a 23 year survivor and I know I’m at risk 70% for breast cancer on the other side, the mammogram showed changes and ultrasound showed spots. I told him I wanted surgery. Because the biopsy report was “negative” he was reluctant, but finally agreed to perform the surgery. The day after surgery, I saw him at the clinic for follow-up. Ten minutes before my appointment, the pathologist called him to say they found a very early, very small breast cancer.
I was told the risk of recurrence was very small and the benefit from the chemo was small. But on the web, I read that the type I had - triple negative breast cancer - is aggressive and invasive, so even though this was found very early and very small, it was classified as stage 1, rather than stage 0. Twenty-three years ago when I finished chemo I said “never again”, but I learned “Never say never”. I asked for chemo.
Twenty-three years ago, we didn’t know about the HER2 protein. We don’t know if my breast cancer then was the same type as this time, but I was told it was definitely not related or a metastasis.
The lump was so small and deep, no one could feel it and the surgeon said it probably didn’t even show on the mammogram. His comment to me was “you must have had a sense” – I said my sense was that whatever was there, didn’t belong there and I wanted it removed. I have had a great team of prayer supporters and have done well – much better than I expected. Because I work part-time, it’s easy to flex my schedule. I have not missed more than a couple days of work. Work has been good therapy for me!
God had to be overseeing all of this – as He does – and deserves the credit and the glory.
As a former public health nurse and now a parish nurse, I have a passion to tell women about the facts of breast health:
- Every woman (and some men) are at risk for breast cancer!
- There is no age limit to breast cancer – 23 years old or 103 years old!
- Do your self-exam every month – most of us in our support group found the lump ourselves.
- Have your annual mammogram – if you are uninsured or under insured, check with the MN SAGE program by MN Department of Health to help pay – there are generous income guidelines.
