Tammy Godman was only 36 when she felt a lump in her breast. Although she was too young for a recommended mammogram, she regularly did self-checks.
Tammy said, “I have always worked in the medical field. In fact, I even worked in a mammography office once so I would regularly check for anything different.”
It may have been that self-check and early detection that saved Tammy’s life.
After finding a lump, Tammy quickly went to her doctor who sent her to St. Elizabeth Ft. Thomas. Tammy remembers, “They thought it was a thickening of tissue but had me do a mammogram while I was there. Immediately, they knew it wasn’t normal.”
Tammy went through more testing to find it was ductal carcinoma in situ and it had already spread to her lymph nodes. This all began in late November 2009. She started chemotherapy the first week of December and had a double mastectomy in April 2010, followed by radiation.
“Thank God at that first appointment they decided to do a baseline mammogram,” said Tammy. “Everything from that point moved very quickly. I lived almost 90 minutes away from St. Elizabeth and wasn’t working at the time. The staff was so supportive, they even gave me gas cards to help with transportation costs.”
Tammy considers April 23, 2010, the day of her surgery, her first day cancer free. She recently celebrated her eighth year cancer free. She says, “I celebrate my survivor status every year with my family and my sister designs a special shirt for me. They have been very supportive since I was first diagnosed with breast cancer.”
Each year, people across the nation celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day on the first Sunday in June. The day is meant to be a celebration of all cancer survivors and serve as an inspiration to those recently diagnosed with cancer or undergoing treatment.
Remember, early detection saves lives. Breast cancer screenings are the best way to find breast cancer early, often before symptoms are noticed. A mammogram is the most common screening for breast cancer and is recommended for women age 40 and older with average risk, screened annually. Talk to your physician about your risk factors and when you should start receiving mammograms.
Schedule your annual mammogram at one of our convenient locations today.