My Story
Church Secretary/Retired Hairstylist
Anderson, IN
3 years since her MammoSite treatment.
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Hi! I'm Diane and I am so excited to tell you about my experience with MammoSite 5-Day Targeted Radiation Therapy. In the days following my regular screening mammogram, I received that dreaded call, "You need to come back in for some more pictures". So, of course, I did go back and it was determined that I needed to have a biopsy. There was an area of microcalcifications that looked questionable. In the process, I met the sweetest nurse, the Breast Care Coordinator, and she guided me through all the scheduling and tests, continually offering me words of encouragement and hope. But in the end, it was determined that I had Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) and that further surgery would be necessary. My surgeon encouraged me to do research on the Internet or library in the days leading to my consultation with him. So after reading everything I could about DCIS I came to the conclusion I would just have a mastectomy and be done with it. When I stated this to my surgeon, he looked a bit bewildered and said he thought this was a bit radical. Then he mentioned MammoSite. I had run across the MammoSite webpage in my research but really didn't think I was a candidate. Turns out, I was a perfect candidate. My tumor was relatively small and though considered high grade, was very early stage and being "in situ" very little chance of spreading. So I changed my mind pretty quickly. If I could spare my breast, have radiation completed in just five days and have virtually the same cure rate, why not?
After my lumpectomy, we had to wait for the pathology report to assure us of clear margins before placing the MammoSite balloon and catheter. But everything went really well and after consulting with the radiation oncologist, I felt like I was on the right path. With the help of ultrasound, my surgeon inserted the MammoSite balloon and catheter (after numbing the area, I felt nothing) and just a few days later I began my treatments. Those were the quickest five days I think I've ever lived! There was no pain, the actual radiation treatment was only about 6 minutes and other than a little fatigue, I had very little side effects. I am very fair-skinned so I did have a little redness about halfway through the treatments, but I was given some wonderful moisturizing cream and it really helped. Going to the treatments was like going to meet my friends for lunch or something. I actually looked forward to seeing everybody and they all made me feel like an old friend!
I am so grateful that my surgeon guided me towards MammoSite. Our local cancer center had only recently started offering this therapy and if my cancer had been discovered just a couple of months earlier; I would have had to travel about 30 miles to Indianapolis twice a day. So, I feel really blessed in so many ways. I encourage all women to get those yearly mammograms and if you do get that dreaded call, don't panic! There are so many new treatment options out there. MammoSite was truly a blessing for me! I would love to share my experience with anyone, please contact me with your questions. God Bless!
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This profile is solely the words of the person who received MammoSite Targeted Radiation Therapy to treat breast cancer. Note that this profile is specific to this particular person, and experiences will vary.
