Wednesday, August 01, 2007
enlargeEditor’s Note: First in a series of columns about one woman’s journey through the often-scary world of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Two common sayings have become a very important part of my life recently:
"Today is the first day of the rest of your life" and "One day at a time."
My life took a dramatic turn a few weeks ago when I went for a routine mammogram. After several increasingly serious tests, I have learned I am in the early stages of breast cancer. I plan to write a series of columns for the newspaper chronicling the twists and turns of my journey.
In Maine each year, about 1,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 200 women will die from the disease. If women age 50 and older are screened for breast cancer between 20 percent and 40 percent of thosecancer deaths could be prevented. That's 40 to 80 women who wouldn't have died if their cancer had been detected early enough for successful treatment. This information is from the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program of the Maine Department of Health & Human Services.
According to American Cancer Society Facts and Figures, 2004, about 920 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed among women in Maine, and 170 men and women were expected to die of breast cancer.
The good news, though, is that people who are diagnosed with breast cancer are living longer after diagnosis because of technological advances in detection and treatment, according to information provided by a spokeswoman from MaineGeneral Medical Center.
In my case, one of the worst — and earliest — tests is something called a stereotactic biopsy, which uses a special computer to guide a needle to the suspicious spot seen on the mammogram. It's not the needle part that's bad — it's the table you have to lie on face down and the position in which you find yourself.
That table just had to be designed by a man; a woman would have figured out a more dignified and comfortable way to accomplish the same purpose.
Not only does the table have a hole in the center that part of you has to hang down through, but the hardness factor is somewhere between concrete and marble.
I am a copy editor at the Kennebec Journal, where I have worked for nearly 31 years. I am 55 years old, unmarried, have had no children, and, ironically, quit smoking two months ago after 38 years to — hopefully — avoid lung cancer.
I decided to write these columns, partly as therapy for me and also as a learning and demystifying experience for others. I still don't know what the outcome will be, but I'll share with you all I know, soon after I learn it.
By the way: Another common saying I've found very helpful lately — "Don't sweat the small stuff."
Stephanie Law is a copy editor at the newspaper and lives in Sabattus.
Contact Stephanie Law by e-mailing: doverfox51@midmaine.com
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I can't imagine the courage it would take to fight this fight, but to document it as well. You are quite a lady.report abuse
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