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In December 2001, while doing my monthly self breast exam; I felt something in my right breast that I had not felt before. Since it was around Christmas, I decided to wait until January to get it checked out. In January I set out to find out what was going on. When I tried to get a mammogram, my insurance company required me to get a referral. Since the only physician that had ever checked my breasts was my Gynecologist, I made an appointment with them. I explained that I had felt something strange during my self exam, but the Gynecologist didn’t feel it. However, I insisted on having a mammogram. The only opening was in April, but that wasn’t good enough. It was the end of January. Fortunately for me, there was a cancellation during the first week in February. Upon arriving at the Radiologist to have the mammogram, I explained that I felt something unusual. I was told that the orders were incorrect and the physician had to be contacted. I told them that I wasn’t leaving until I’d had the mammogram. Once, the initial screening had taken place, I knew that the Radiologist had also seen something on the results. I was eventually contacted by the gynecologist office and was told that they had scheduled me an appointment at Metro Surgical Associates. This was my first encounter with Dr. Rogsbert Phillips, the physician that would change my life. At my very first office visit, I was given the most extensive breast exam ever; an ultrasound of my breast, a pin biopsy and a second visit scheduled. After, what seemed to be the longest week of my life, I went back to get the results. The pin biopsy had come back negative, but Dr. Phillips said, “I don’t like what I see, so it has got to come out of there.” Thank God for her directness and passion for the care of women’s breast health. At the end of my second visit, I’d made all the arrangements for my lumpectomy. Exactly 3 weeks after making my first visit concerning this matter and pushing for a mammogram, to having a surgery date, on an otherwise fine Friday afternoon of February 22, 2002, my family was given the news the tumor was malignant. I had breast ‘CANCER’. When the dust finally settled, Dr. Phillips was right in the middle supporting, planning and making sure that all would be well. She insisted that I attend a Sister’s By Choice breast cancer support group, because she understood the importance of having a great support network to get through the hard times and answer the tough questions needed for a full recovery. These were survivors that had “been there” and were willing to help me through it too. One of many things that stood out about the process was Dr. Phillip’s hands on approach. She didn’t just tell you to make an appointment; she made sure you had your appointments before you left the office. She didn’t just tell you what you wanted to hear; she told you what you needed to hear and what your options were. She didn’t drop the ball and wait for someone else to pick up the pieces. Thanks to Dr. Phillips’ tireless service, commitment and relentless determination to change statistics “one patient at a time”, I was on my way to what became a full recovery. Since studies show
that early detection is a key to full recovery, please do your monthly
breast exams and get your mammograms; because CANCER is a disease that
doesn’t hurt until it is too late. CANCER is a true silent killer.
At age 37, I became a Breast Cancer Survivor. |
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