You don’t think about it much until it hits you or some one you love. I had no family history or risk factors to indicate I would get breast cancer. When I was diagnosed, neither my doctor nor I had any suspicions. It was just that routine first mammogram.
I learned of my diagnosis just a week before Christmas. My husband was recovering from a heart attack at the time, so it was already a stressful time. Thankfully I was able to meet with my surgeon and oncologist very quickly and they put my mind at ease enough to enjoy the holidays.
That mammogram helped doctors find the tumor when it was relatively small. I had surgery in January, chemo in March-April and radiation in June. My chemo and surgery were here in Owen Sound. The staff and doctors were wonderful.
I am doing well now! But I often wonder what if I hadn’t had that first mammogram.
Shannon Weitendorf,
Owen Sound