How was your HER2 BC first found?

[Mary Jo]

I remember one night lying in bed, early 2005...possibly March....and doing a self breast exam. All of a sudden my fingers stopped on an area that I felt something....it did feel different BUT explained away with it being scar tissue from a lumpectomy I had in that same area 12 years prior. I knew my mammogram was coming up....June...so put it off because I knew it wasn't anything anyway. I just had a mammogram a year prior and all was fine.

June came and I went to have my mammogram. I mentioned to the tech. that I had a lump in the area I a lumpectomy in 12 years prior and she noted it and put a piece of tape their. She felt it too. They did the mammogram and said "all clear.......see nothing." Because the lump could be felt they decided to do a more concentrated picture and did it again. Still......."all clear....see nothing." That afternoon they did an ultrasound and biopsy because now they DID see something. Remember, this was not seen on mammogram.....my tumor was 4 cm. in size...that is approximately 1 inch in diameter. Yikes.

So, the next day I got that dreaded phone call. Yes, breast cancer. Funny thing......the lumpectomy I had 12 years prior...no cancer BUT atypical hyperplasia cells....which means that women who have these cells often DO develop breast cancer. Makes sense what Denise said above....about it growing microscopically on the duct before becoming a tumor..... Hmmm.......interesting.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO important to know our bodies and do those self exams. In my case, if I hadn't....God only knows..........

Love to you all, my sisters,

Mary Jo