Kathy H

Dear Friend,
I did not participate in the poll because my presentation was atypical. I presented with an enlarged lymph node in my right axilla. I had been to my ob-gyn for my yearly physical a month prior to my diagnosis. He did a breast exam but he did not examine my axilla. I did not know at the time that breast cancer could present the way mine did. Before my lymph node was biopsied, I had a mammogram, sonogram and breast MRI to try to find a primary tumor. A small primary was found on MRI on the opposite side that biopsy proved to be a completely different cancer from the lymph node on the right. The lymph node was her2+++, er/pr- and stage 3c by PETscan (a small supraclavicular node was evident by PET scan). The small tumor in the breast was her2-, er/pr+ and probably stage 1. I say probably because I had neoadjuvant chemotherapy due to the stage 3c on the right. The fabulous news that I shared on the profiles in courage board is that when I had surgery after 6 months of chemotherapy, I was in complete pathologic remission. Since surgery provided no information about the her2+++ primary, my doctor told me that it was either too small to be seen on MRI and went away with the chemo, I had diffuse cells on that side and no solid tumor, or my own immune system took care of the primary but not before it metastasized to my axilla. I have gone into much more detail than anyone wants to read, but I just want other people to know that a breast exam and a mammogram are imperative, but they were not enough for me. My presentation is called occult breast cancer and I would love for everyone to be aware so that mothers, sisters, daughters, and any who has never had this problem will be aware that examination of the axilla is yet one more way to try to catch the disease in a curable stage. I am blessed with renewed health and hope that we will all be blessed with a healthy tomorrow.

Love to you all, Kathy