Cherie’s mother is a breast cancer survivor and is currently undergoing treatment for lymphoma. When lab work showed that Cherie’s white blood cell count, lymphocytes and monocytes were high, she saw a blood cancer oncologist and had genetic testing done at the time. Despite her family’s cancer history, Cherie’s tests all came back negative.
Yearly Mammograms
For the past 20 years, Cherie, who is in her 60s, has made sure to have her yearly mammograms. About five years ago, one of her mammograms showed a small spot.
“At that point, I started going in every six months,” she said. “They wanted to keep an eye on it.” Over time, the spot went away, and Cherie resumed her regular yearly mammogram schedule.
In March of this year, Cherie went in for her annual mammogram. She expected it to be fine. This time, the radiologist said there was a mass on her left breast.
A Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Cherie had a breast ultrasound, followed by a biopsy. Soon after, she was diagnosed with stage 1 ER/PR+ breast cancer. “My blood had been looked at, I’d had genetic testing. But nothing prepared me for going in for a mammogram and learning it was cancer,” Cherie said. “Having regular mammograms helped my doctor find my cancer early. Whether you have a family history or not, you need to be going in yearly.”
Treatment Details
Cherie’s breast cancer diagnosis is relatively new, so she’s at the start of treatment. She’s scheduled to have a mastectomy with implant reconstruction at the beginning of June. Then she will start hormone therapy.
Moving Forward
Cherie, who is a nurse, encourages anyone facing a breast cancer diagnosis to give themselves time to mentally process their options. “The month of March was a blur,” she said. “I had to mentally wrap my head around this, because everything happened so fast. It was mammogram to ultrasound to biopsy to meeting with the cancer team.”
Cherie’s strength in moving forward comes from her four grandchildren. “I’ve got to live for them,” she said. “I want to see them grow up. I’ve got to push forward and keep pushing forward for them.”
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.
