Breast Cancer Survival

"My Family is Forewarned" Cancer Survivor Jill Miller’s story In October of 2003 I felt a lump in my left breast while showering.  I went to see my doctor, had my first mammogram on a Friday, and a biopsy on the following Monday. At the age of 37, I was diagnosed with lymph node involved breast cancer.

My husband and I talked over the options I was given, and I started looking online for information. I found an article about Jewish women of (high cancer risk) Ashkenazi descent having bilateral (double) mastectomies as a preventive measure. That made sense to me, and there was no problem with my insurance. I just wanted to “get it out.”

In November I had the mastectomy procedure with immediate reconstruction and started chemotherapy on December 18.  I’m a school teacher and planned to be out through the Christmas break, but my principal suggested I take more time, and since I had an excellent substitute teacher for my (7th/8th grade) class that’s what I did.

In 2005 while visiting my oncologist, Dr. (David) Margileth, we talked about genetic testing. I’d had a paternal grandmother who had breast cancer, and decided to have the testing.

I met with (Genetic Counselor) Kim Banks for pre-test counseling and discussed the packet I had completed on my family background. I had a blood test, and we talked about the 6 – 17 percent probability of a gene mutation. About a month later I came back to discuss my test results. I was surprised to learn they had found a BRCA 1 variant of uncertain significance (a genetic change placing women at higher risk for breast and ovarian cancer). Kim recommended I do monthly self-breast exams, and have a clinical exam every six months that included a blood test and pelvic ultrasounds. As a preventive measure I opted to have a hysterectomy. Kim asked if I would be interested in joining a clinical study being done with the Mayo Clinic. I did, and as a result my dad and his sister were tested. Both of them had the gene variant. My aunt has a daughter who has two daughters of her own, and they now know to be cautious.

In September (2007) while showering I noticed some pea-sized swollen lymph nodes in my neck. Dr. Margileth sent me to Dr. (Michelle) Carpenter for a biopsy, which showed I’d had a small recurrence. I also had a PET/CT bone scan which showed small mammo cells (cells from the breast cancer that had traveled via the lymph nodes) in my hip bone. I’m now having bone scans every three months. I’ve begun taken an estrogen blocker so that the cancer cells can’t feed and divide and will die. I also have monthly infusion therapy to repair any bone loss from the estrogen blocker.

My doctors, their nurses and the chemo nurses have been fabulous and have made all the difference for me. I adore Kim Banks. She is so personable and knowledgeable. She gives you the correct terms, then explains them in laymen’s terms. She was wonderful about making calls and checking in with me to ask how things were going.  When my dad, who is in Oregon, had trouble coordinating insurance benefits for testing, she called and made it happen.

Cancer is not having much impact on my daily life. You try to put it behind you, and I trust my doctor, who has carried me through this and saved my life. People look at me strangely when I say it’s not the worst thing that can happen.  It’s certainly not easy, but a lot of good has come out of this experience. It’s restored my faith in human beings. After I’d lost my hair, I would be somewhere like the grocery store and people would come up to me and tell me they were cancer survivors too. One of my student’s parents called me every few weeks, and for two weeks solid after my surgery my coworkers brought a meal to us every night. When I had no hair the kids at school knit me hats and gave me little presents. I even tried to have fun with it. Since I had no hair I bought beanies, earrings that before would have been hidden by my hair, eye shadow and make up.

The other good thing was how I learned I could really rely on my husband. Our son was two years old and my husband really stepped up to the plate in spending time with him, taking care of all of us, as well as taking care of the house. Both of my husband’s parents were lost to cancer. I learned he was really there for me and could handle this.

It’s important to stay positive. It’s not the disease it once was thanks to modern medicine, which is truly miraculous. Even chemotherapy was benign compared to the beast it was in my mind.

My advice is not to go it alone. My friends have been very supportive. I’ve told people (diagnosed with cancer) not to be afraid to talk to other patients, and be careful looking at information on the Internet because it can be misleading.

I’m glad my family had the genetic testing. They now know what they need to do for early detection. It makes me feel better knowing that my family is forewarned.