Second time around
Saturday, April 25, 2009
By: Joanne MacPhail

I am a breast cancer survivor. In August 2008, I was diagnosed with this disease again after 14 years of being cancer free. My first journey with this disease began in 1993 with the diagnosis one week before Christmas and just one year after I had lost my dad.

I never thought that this disease would have the nerve or audacity to return after 14 years but it did!

I had become complacent with my check-ups, as they had always been clear. Then in May of 2008 I got a really bad cold so I went to my GP for some antibiotics. He was not pleased that I had missed a year for a mammogram and had not been to see him for a while for my checkups.

So he not only gave me a prescription for antibiotics for my chest cold but requisition for a mammogram and blood work. He sent me for the mammogram at the new breast screen clinic we have here in Kitchener at Freeport Hospital. It has the new digital mammography machine. For the first time since I had my mastectomy in 1994, they did the mammogram on my left side where the cancer was. They called me back in a couple of days and wanted to do an ultra sound as they noticed some thickening of the tissue. I knew that they had found something.

They were not sure if it was cancer as I have a lot of scar tissue from the surgeries in 1994. So they first asked me to come back in three to six months to look for any changes. But my GP was not happy with that given my history and referred me to a surgeon. The surgeon was not totally convinced it was cancer but ordered a biopsy. The biopsy showed cancer under my left arm but it looked like a small tumour.

But when they operated it turned out to be quite big - the cancer was in the muscle, skin and 5 of the 7 lymph nodes that they removed. The pathology report was not good - my margins were not clear - so they ordered a battery of tests to see if it had spread. Thankfully it had not. It was localized to my under arm. The cancer was T2 and estrogen dependent - so no chemo this time just radiation. I finished radiation just before Christmas. The radiation and surgery did a fair bit of damage to my shoulder and under arm. I now have physio twice a week so that I can move my shoulder. I have lymphodemia and a frozen shoulder.

But I am alive! Cancer has taught be a lot about myself. I know that I will never be the same person again physically, emotionally or mentally. But that is not totally a bad thing. I opted to have my other breast removed - so now I wear tank tops instead of bras, like I was a kid again. I have a wonderful husband who has been with me every step of the way. I am so lucky. I know that some day cancer will take my life - as I have 50/50 chance but is the glass half full or half empty.