Charlotte and her husband were ready for the next phase of their lives, living as retirees in a cabin in the woods of northwestern Minnesota. “My husband was already retired and I had about six months until I retired,” she said. “I was looking forward to the quiet and to spending time with our grandchildren.”
With their future planned, Charlotte looked forward to her last day of work and celebrating her retirement. But then something completely unplanned happened. Charlotte learned she had breast cancer.
Mammogram Shows Suspicious Spot
Charlotte always had an inflamed duct in her left breast, and it was something that her doctor was not concerned about. About two weeks before her annual mammogram in 2024, she felt something similar in her right breast. “But this one was a little painful. I didn’t feel a lump so much as I felt the pain,” she said. “At first, I wasn’t too concerned, especially since I had my mammogram coming up. I really thought it was another inflamed duct.”
However, Charlotte’s mammogram showed a suspicious spot, so she was sent for a second mammogram followed by a breast ultrasound. “That’s when I learned I needed to have a breast biopsy,” she said.
A Biopsy Reveals Breast Cancer
“The doctor who did the biopsy was so kind,” Charlotte recalled. “I had this feeling, while he was doing it, that it was going to come back as cancer. He said it was very suspicious and he found three spots that needed to be biopsied.”
The first thing that crossed Charlotte’s mind was that she was supposed to be retiring soon. “I thought, well, I don’t have time for this, we have a plan,” she said. “Then I thought, well, if it’s cancer, hopefully it will be caught early.”
Genetic Testing
Charlotte also worried about her daughters and granddaughters, and what her diagnosis might mean for them. “We didn’t have breast cancer in my family, but I did have genetic testing done,” she explained. “I was relieved I don’t have a BRCA inherited genetic mutation and that I’m not at high risk for other types of cancers.”
Her diagnosis does mean that her youngest daughter, who is 34, will start having yearly mammograms this year. “That’s a good thing,” Charlotte said. Her older daughter, at 40, has already started her annual mammograms.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Surgery
Charlotte was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. Originally, doctors thought it was stage 1. She had a bilateral mastectomy and two lymph nodes removed, and doctors determined the cancer was stage 2.
“I considered breast reconstruction, but I decided at this point in my life, I wouldn’t miss having my breasts,” she said. “And I liked the idea of not having to wear a bra in the summer when it’s hot.”
Surgery Complications
Charlotte’s surgery was on a Friday and she went home Saturday. “That’s when I developed some issues, because the surgeon used glue instead of sutures to close me up,” she said. “I ended up being sensitive to the glue, so the incision opened up.”
While Charlotte did not develop an infection, she did note her scar ended up looking worse. “But that’s okay,” she said. “Scars are a part of the journey.”
Retirement & Continuing Treatment
Happily, Charlotte was able to retire on time in December 2024. She did not begin radiation therapy until early 2025 because the wound needed time to heal. “By that time, we had moved into the cabin, so I had an hour drive each way,” she said. “My husband often chauffeured me and we’d make a day of it, have lunch or run errands.”
Moving Forward
Now settled full-time in the cabin in the woods with her husband, Charlotte’s focus is on embracing life. “It’s quiet here, it’s the best place for healing,” she said.
In sharing her story, Charlotte hopes that people will get their annual mammograms and advocate for themselves if they feel pain or something unusual – and that they’ll focus on the important things in life, whether they receive a cancer diagnosis or not.
“Part of your thought process when you hear ‘breast cancer’ is that it used to be a death sentence,” Charlotte said. “But they’ve come such a long way with research and treatment. I’ve had a lot of battles in life, and this was just another one.”
Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
