Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Our employees share their powerful stories
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
During the month of October, there is an extra commitment to raising awareness about breast cancer. Our employees share their personal stories about how the disease has affected their families.
We Thought Her Diagnosis Was A Death Sentence
"In 1988, the hearing the words “breast cancer” usually meant you didn’t have a great survival rate. That year, my mother was 56-years-old when she found a hard knot in her right breast.
This surgery left lifelong challenges and problems for my mother. The use of her arm is very limited and she suffered psychological issues from this invasive procedure. Reconstructive surgery at the time was too much for her.
We Thought Her Diagnosis Was A Death Sentence
"In 1988, the hearing the words “breast cancer” usually meant you didn’t have a great survival rate. That year, my mother was 56-years-old when she found a hard knot in her right breast.
In early October my mother
informed me on our nightly walk that she needed to have a biopsy and possibly
surgery by the middle of the month. I had just given birth to my daughter,
Kelcey, six weeks earlier and mom held
off telling me as long as she could. The day of the biopsy arrived. If
the tumor turned out to be malignant, the doctor would advise the family and
proceed with surgery. Our greatest fear was realized. The doctor informed
us mom did in fact have breast cancer. After hearing the news, I
burst into tears sitting in the hallway outside the waiting room. My father,
brothers, and I sat helpless in the waiting arrive as the doctor performed a radical
mastectomy. They removed 30 lymph nodes from my mom’s right arm. During
her procedure she lost a lot of blood and nearly died. This type of
surgery is rarely performed today unless the cancer is extremely
advanced.
This surgery left lifelong challenges and problems for my mother. The use of her arm is very limited and she suffered psychological issues from this invasive procedure. Reconstructive surgery at the time was too much for her.
My mother did survive and has
been with us for the last 25 years. My mother has watched my two children grow
up. Kelcey is now a neonatal nurse at Kosair Children’s Hospital and is
currently in the nurse practitioner program at Spalding University. She
plans work with cancer patients. My son graduated in May from DeSales
High School and pursuing a degree at IUS in computer programming. I was blessed
to see my mother turn 81 on September 28.
Mom was very lucky compared
to my father’s sister. She had the same operation two days after my
mother’s surgery. Unlike my mother, her cancer spread and she passed away
18 months later.
When I was
29-years-old, my doctor suggested that I have a “baseline” x-ray and at
age 35 recommended I that have yearly mammograms. Two years ago, was tested for
the BRCA-1
gene. I was fortunate to learn I did not
have it, but I still get my annual mammograms."
- Cheryl, Resource
Planning & Management, Residential Service Center.
Breast Cancer Can Happen To Anyone
“My mom’s sister was just diagnosed with breast cancer about
a month ago. She had a lumpectomy performed last week and will be having
a series of 32 radiation treatments starting in approximately three to four
weeks. There are a couple of things I want to point out about her
particular case. She is 77-years-old. No one is ever too young or
too old to get this disease. Also, she’s had several mammograms along the
way. Numerous times the reports have come back with a suspicious “spot.”
Doctors have fully examined them with biopsies and
previously they’ve always come back
as benign. We all assumed this would be the case again this time but it
turned out differently. Therefore, no matter how many false alarms you’ve
had, never assume anything. Check it out - your life may depend upon
it.
The same is true with any other type cancer. My 79-year-old
mother had a biopsy done earlier this year which came back normal, only to have
another biopsy last week to discover she has endometrial cancer. We are
working with her doctor, surgeon and gynecological oncologist to formulate a
plan for her treatment also. Even though mom isn’t facing breast cancer,
it just reminds us that we need to be proactive in our healthcare.”
- Tony, Lead Customer Representative, Greenville
Office
Mobile Mammography Unit Saved My Life
“My lump was found when I used the Mobile Mammography Unit
at the company’s Broadway Office Complex.
I had not had a mammogram for a couple years due to work schedules and
personal commitments so the fact that the company provides ladies who work at
LG&E & KU this convenience is very admirable. It saved my life by
diagnosing my breast cancer in its earliest stage. I had a lumpectomy and did 6
weeks of radiation. The early detection prevented me from having to have a full
mastectomy and chemotherapy.”
- Sherry, Business Service Center , Louisville
My Best Friend Is An Inspiration
“My best friend and cousin, RoseAnn, has seen me through the
toughest times of my life and been there to share my greatest joys. Just
a little more than 2 months ago, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast
cancer. Doctors stated it was aggressive and requested a double
mastectomy. Rose has always been the confident builder in our small group
of close knit friends. She is always the one to lift us up. Now,
faced with the horrible “C” word, she continues to encourage us. Her
motto, ‘It is what it is.’ Her courage leaves me speechless.
The day of her surgery, we all took off from work and sat
with the family. We were there to show her our support. Surgery went
well, recovery has been good and she just started chemotherapy. RoseAnn
did not care about losing both breasts, but she does worry about losing her
hair. We have all told her, ‘we will shave our heads and be bald right
along with you.’
Round two of chemo is just a few short days away, and her
hair has begun to fall out. However, her
spirits continue to soar with courage. For those of us watching her pain,
we are left in awe over her positive attitude.
It is now our turn to be strong for RoseAnn and encourage
her. Cancer “BITES”. It leaves heartache for way too many
people. I cannot imagine my life without my best friend and I pray it
will go away.”
- Stacey, Pineville Call Center
