This past July I got the phone call many get but never thought that I would get...after all, I workout, take care of myself-Have mammograms every single year....yes, I had scares. Biopsies...but they always came back ok...I am a 47 year old mother of three boys-Just got re-married to a wonderful man that I knew in High School...our marriage was in November 2013. It was such a wonderful wedding with family and friends. About 8 months later in July I had an appointment for my yearly mammogram. Routine for me, I work at a Hospital and just have to go upstairs on my break-they get me in and get me out-I have had so many of these...my mom was diagnosed at 47 and opted for a one sided mastectomy-she is a 30 year survivor. So, I am at risk...so, risky, I went to a genetic counselor one week prior to my mammogram. She insisted I did not need a genetic test..that I was not risky enough...Long behold -two days after that mammogram-I got the call at work-I had DIC (ductal) cancer. Well, I am a candidate now! ...I made the decision to have a double mastectomy and lymph node biopsy-best decision ever (for me) ...it had not spread to my lymph nodes...and I no longer need mammograms. Due to the 3D mammogram that I had, they found my cancer at its earliest stages-I feel blessed for this-I feel blessed to have a husband stick by my side and go to every single doctor appointment-slept by my side for two surgeries and goes to almost every single reconconstruction appointment-which by the way-is a huge painful process...but so worth every bit of it. I cannot stress to women enough-have those mammograms-it saved my life! I look at life so much differently now-I know who was by my side every step of the way in this journey-and for that I will never, ever forget-Not easy but attitude is key-one more surgery in April-

Susie
Milwaukee, WI