The last thing Jinny felt like doing was getting her annual mammogram. She’d been in Turks and Caicos, celebrating her 40th birthday, and was exhausted when she returned home. “I thought maybe I’ll just wait until the following year,” she said. “But something nagged at me, so I went. And that’s where it all started.”
Abnormal Mammogram Results
The mammogram showed something unusual, so her doctor ordered a breast ultrasound and a biopsy. The results revealed that she had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). “I had an anxiety attack. The word ‘cancer’ just breaks your heart,” Jinny said. “I have no family history. I did genetic testing and everything was negative.”
The first thing Jinny thought about was her son. “It was just overwhelming. I worked so hard, I had my son when I didn’t think I could have kids, and even though the cancer was stage 1, you still think, ‘I’m going to die.’”
Jinny’s doctor helped calm her down. “He said okay, we’re going to take it a day at a time, take a deep breath,” she explained, “I knew I found the right doctors.”
Double Mastectomy
As soon as Jinny learned she had breast cancer, she wanted a double mastectomy – immediately. “I have a son, I wanted to be here for him, I didn’t want anything else to happen,” she said.
Within six weeks, after tests and appointments to follow up, Jinny had her surgery in mid-November. “The weeks leading up to it were sleepless, they were torture,” she said. “I was just so ready to have my breasts gone.”
Jinny’s surgeon prepared her ahead of time so that he would not be able to spare her nipples. “I lost them both and that was heartbreaking, but I was grateful for life,” she said. “But at some point, he said we could tattoo nipples after I was healed.”
Complications
During her surgery, Jinny had expanders placed. “At first, I thought, oh, it’s not so bad,” she said. Then, in March, everything changed. “I started to feel sick and had a bit of pain in my right breast.”
Jinny was two weeks away from having her implants placed. “The pain got worse and I was scared it was an infection. I had just been cleared for the implant surgery, and I just knew it wasn’t going to happen,” she said. Jinny reached out to her doctor’s office. “We did a Facetime call and they said I had to go to the emergency room right away.”
Breast Infection
At the emergency room, Jinny was told she needed to go into surgery immediately because she had developed an infection. “I should have called my doctor immediately when I started feeling pain,” she said. “But I thought it would go away.”
Jinny had surgery on her right breast, during which the doctor removed the expander, swabbed and cleaned up the infection, put a new expander in and closed her up. “I had one drain for about six weeks,” she said. “I’m grateful that it healed perfectly, and now I reach out to the doctor anytime something comes up, no matter how small.”
Preparing for Unexpected Third Surgery
Because of the emergency surgery, Jinny’s breast reconstruction was put on hold until her breast fully heals and she’s hoping to have it later this summer. “I wasn’t expecting a third breast surgery, of course,” she explains. “I thought it was going to be double-mastectomy-to-reconstruction-to-done.”
Starting Tamoxifen
While Jinny is grateful she did not have to have radiation therapy or chemotherapy, she is on tamoxifen for the next five years. “It was really hard in the beginning. I was really depressed,” she said. “And I was miserable, so I talked with my doctor and we adjusted the dosage, and that’s helped.”
Finding Comfort After DCIS Diagnosis
After her DCIS diagnosis, Jinny found comfort in reading the stories of others’ experiences with breast cancer. “I didn’t feel alone,” she said. “Those stories give me support.” Sharing her story is a way to give back and to encourage others to advocate for themselves and to get their mammograms.
She also finds comfort from her family, including her husband and son. “My son was so strong through this. I was scared but I told him I was going to be okay,” Jinny said. “He was in middle school and he was there, helping me and still doing well in school. It helped me mentally to see my son exceed during that time.”
A Sense of Purpose
Jinny still thinks about what might have happened if she hadn’t gone in for her mammogram after vacation. “What if I had waited a year? Would the cancer have grown?” she wondered. “I’ve learned to face life with a deeper sense of purpose. Recovery hasn’t been easy, but with the love of my friends and family, I’ve pushed through each challenge, and I hope I can bring light, strength and hope to others navigating a similar path.”
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 healthcare provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
