MY LIFE Matters - Health Literacy - 27

CONTINUE LEARNING IN SURVIVORSHIP A Proactive Approach
As a retired veteran, my military experience
has prepared me for all that has
occurred and continues to occur in my life.
I have never to this day questioned God as
to why I had breast cancer, but what was
my purpose in life?
I recall getting my grandson ready for
school. My grandson accidentally bumped
me in my left breast. It felt uncomfortable,
but I continued to get him ready for
school. I came back home and thought to
myself that I have not heard from my VA
doctor with the results of my mammogram.
I decided to do a self-breast exam
in the shower. I felt something unusual
and proceeded to lay down in bed and
check. UGGGGGHHHHHH, this did
not feel good.
I immediately called my VA doctor only
to find out that she was no longer employed
there. I was hurt as she was a lifeline for
me. Dr. Reddy helped me through so many
rough spots over the years. As I was on
hold, the nurse came on the line and verified
my identification and began to say
they received my results October 19, 2020.
WHAAAATTTT! Almost 30 days later. Be
in mind that as of 1994, mammography
facilities are now required to provide patients
with written results of their mammograms
in easy-to-understand language
within 30 days of the mammogram per
The Mammography Quality Standards
Act (MQSA). I believe my experience of
working in a mammogram center brought
this to light, and I was furious to say the
least with the mammogram facility and
the VA. You would've thought I would've
checked on my results before then, but
I was going through such an emotional
time in life.
Well, the nurse wanted me to come in
and talk to a doctor about my results. This
was a first and with that in mind I knew
the results were not good. As the nurse was
talking, I got in my vehicle and headed to
the mammogram facility. I hung up on
the nurse. I arrived at the mammogram
facility, and I requested a copy of my mammogram
results. I proceeded to my vehicle
shaking and already crying because of the
unknown bad news in this report. I sat
in my vehicle and opened the envelope. I
stopped and called my friend and caregiver
Paris to listen to the results as I read them.
At this time, it was late in the evening and
not much could be done. Needless to say,
the night was a wreck! Paris could tell I
was in need of support, and kept calling
and calling, but I unknowingly hung up
on her. Paris tracked me down-darn
iPhones LOL! The role of a caregiver and
friend in a time of crisis is so important, I
do not know what I would have done without
that support from a friend. Paris was
even more heated than I was, but having
the support and person to talk through
and process the news with was so helpful.
OMGGGGGGooodness! Anger. Anger.
Anger. Here it is, I have had a diagnosis
sitting unaddressed for weeks. The results
were clear, IDC (invasive ductal carcinoma
stage IIb, grade 3 triple-negative breast
cancer (TNBC)). When I had the initial
screening, my mass was 1.8x1.5x.03 cm,
and it had doubled (DMX) in that two
months where I was in the dark about
my diagnosis and was now showing as
3.7x3.2x2.6 cm. I immediately did what
many would do who never expected this.
I screamed, I cried, I felt anger upon more
anger. How could they let me live like this
and just put my paperwork to the side.
On October 28, 2020, I went to the VA
first thing that morning with my nurse and
demanded, yes demanded to see a doctor.
The look on their faces was nothing but
fear because they knew the results and they
had been sitting there in my new doctor's
basket (who was on vacation) since October
19. After speaking with the on-call
doctor, they immediately went into action.
Everything went so quickly over the next
three days. On October 29, I had a diagnostic
mammogram and ultrasound, and on
October 30 I had a needle guided biopsy.
Now the agony truly begins as I'm waiting
for the results from the pathology report.
A long weekend was the least I could
say, because I had nothing but time on my
hands to research all the possibilities of my
diagnosis. It was my health literacy and
survival instincts kicking into gear, and I
was learning, taking notes, and preparing
the questions I had for my medical providers,
learning as much as I could about my
family health history. I wish I had known
that choosing surgery as my first option
before any other treatment would exclude
me from many clinical trials and other
possible treatment options. Some of the
things I did to support my health literacy
was knowing as much information as possible
about my cancer. I was taking action,
I researched and researched my cancer
type and wrote down all my questions. It
was important to me that my physician
explained everything to me in words that
I could understand.
I was so blessed to have connections
with the pathology department who had
my specimen. I received part of the results
the following Tuesday, which was
key; finding out that the mass had grown
from 1.8x1.5x.03 cm to 3.7x3.2x2.6 cm.
What the heck, is all I could say. As I
read further into the report, I saw that
I am triple-negative as well. This means
that I am missing my receptors-estrogen,
progesterone, and HER2 hormones.
I was truly worried at this time. TNBC
MY LIFE MATTERS
HEALTH LITERACY ISSUE | SUMMER 2023
27
MY LIFE Matters - Health Literacy

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters - Health Literacy
