Lynette's Story: Mammograms Saved My Life — Twice
Lynette is a Breastcancer.org Community member in Alexandra, Central Otago, New Zealand.
In February, 2006, I found a lump in my breast. I visited my GP who couldn’t detect it and sent me home saying he didn’t think I had a problem. Thankfully, in June the same year I had a routine mammogram which showed I did have an abnormal growth being cancer. This was removed 2 weeks later and I was then given 6 weeks of radiation.
After 17 years, and ongoing routine mammograms, another cancer growth appeared in the same breast in April, 2023. Because I had radiation on that breast in 2006, there was only one solution, and that was to remove my breast. This was all very straight forward. I did try to have the surgeon remove both my breasts, but she wasn’t prepared to do that. But did say if I still waned it removed in a year she may do the operation.
The whole experience was really not very painful or stressful and I was lucky to have good follow up care with my wound being constantly drained until it had properly healed, which took approximately 10 weeks.
I feel very grateful that I have been very lucky to have been diagnosed very early in both cases.
I recommend that everyone should keep up to date with their regular mammograms as they have saved my life twice now.
I feel very relaxed about my future and don’t think about what could happen next but I will continue with regular checkups and enjoy each day.
Having only one breast is not an issue as I am not concerned about it so why should anyone else be.
I am so very grateful that we have such clever health professionals who are able to give so many people a second or third chance to live a normal life.
Please encourage your friends and family to never miss a mammogram as they are lifesavers.
