From questioning doctors and “standard of care” treatments, Janet describes the emotional toll she went through with what felt like bullying, fear, excessive treatments, PTSD and lack of support.
With an initial diagnosis of low-intermediate grade DCIS in 1999, and a subsequent DCIS diagnosis in 2012, Janet ultimately underwent a mastectomy due to pressures from her doctors about the uncertainty of potential invasive breast cancer.
“My final pathology report was ‘NO CANCER and NO residual DCIS. Sadly I went through 6 months thinking things were much worse than they actually were,” Janet said. “In all, I had 9 procedures with a 10 year recovery from the surgery.” Today Janet often shares her insights with women in an online DCIS support group. Her advice: “Slow down, ask questions, don’t panic, read up, and understand your pathology report.”
Thank you Janet for being a bright light, staying positive, and being so eager to help others despite all you went through!
If you’d like to share your story, please email Donna: dp4peace@yahoo.com
PS: “My Health Wake-Up Call” — Donna’s podcast is also available to listen to on Spotify! Click here.