Karen’s Story

I was first diagnosed in January 2023 with IDC in my right breast, ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative. The entire process was extremely slow — appointments, exams, biopsy. There didn’t seem to be any urgency on anyone’s part, which made me even more nervous.

Just trying to get scheduled for a mammogram was a six-month wait. So I drove 2 1/2 hours to where I used to live and had one done in a day. I met with the oncologist surgeon in March and was told my breast cancer had actually been detected in August 2022 on a CT scan for something unrelated, but I was never informed. I was devastated.

I opted for a lumpectomy with a reduction and lift of both breasts. I wasn’t really given details of other options. Surgery went well — no lymph nodes were affected and margins were clear. I was scheduled for four rounds of chemotherapy, but I had a severe reaction to the first treatment that put me in the hospital for five days. After that, I was terrified to continue and refused further chemo. Again, I felt I wasn’t given clear information to make an informed decision.

In November 2024, I found another lump in the same breast. It was confirmed to be the same diagnosis. This time I opted for a single mastectomy and radiation. My oncologist said I was not a candidate for chemotherapy because my body rejected it the first time. Surgery again went well. I just completed 30 rounds of radiation last week. I am still fatigued, and I have a couple of painful burn spots on my skin.

I follow up with my radiologist at the end of July. He said I will need a CT scan every six months. This second time I felt better educated and knew what questions to ask. My first experience felt like a complete train wreck — doctors were not forthcoming, and I never felt I had all the information I needed to make more precise decisions. Treatments between the two times were truly night and day.

-Karen