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There's Always Hope

A diagnosis of breast cancer can be frightening and overwhelming, but it's important to remember that many treatment options exist depending on your type of cancer. Your health and recovery are our top priorities at St. Luke's.

It can be hard to stay positive, but you should never feel alone. We'd like to share some brief stories with you from former patients about their expectations, fears, experiences, and hopes.

Linda's Story

Lindas Story

"Average risk" doesn't mean "no risk."

As an oncology nurse, I have promoted cancer prevention and mammography screening for decades. Even so, it was a total surprise to find an abnormality on my annual mammogram. I'm at average risk, not high risk, so I still didn't believe it would turn out to be breast cancer. But it did. The hardest moment was telling my son, who had lost his father to cancer just three years before. But I made it clear to him that my prognosis was much different because we'd found the cancer early through the mammogram. After two surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, I now know first-hand what patients are facing and how it feels. It's made me a better nurse, and an even stronger advocate for routine screening.

Toni's Story

Tonis Story

I never thought I'd have cancer.

I never imagined I would be diagnosed with breast cancer. I've always been active and fit, with no family history of breast cancer. But I learned that most women who develop breast cancer have no family history at all. I found the lump when I was showering. It was soft, tender, and sometimes painful, so I thought it probably wasn't cancer. This is a common misconception; many people think cancerous lumps are hard and painless. I completed cancer treatment in less than a year, using exercise, acupuncture, and massage to ease the discomfort, pain, and depression I felt. It was a short journey in some ways, but long in others. It was certainly a journey that changed my life.
Learn more about breast cancer and treatment options at St. Luke's