In 1973 at age 54 I found a lump in my breast. I went to the doctor, and I was scheduled for surgery. The doctor thought it was a benign tumor since it had grown so fast but told me if I came back from surgery without a breast it was cancer. Up until that time the form of treatment for breast cancer was a radical mastectomy in which they removed the breast and the muscle behind it, leaving a woman’s chest caved in. They performed a new procedure on me called a modified radical mastectomy in which they took the breast tissue and the tissues behind but not the muscle. Breast prostheses, as we know them today, were not available, so the doctor told me to put Kleenex tissues in my bra. The only other option was a blow up breast that used a straw to inflate. This was not practical because the weight of the natural breast brought the breast down and the blow up prosthesis rode up. My children joked if I just raised one shoulder and lowered the other no one would notice. Humor is what kept us going at that time.
Two years and three breast biopsies later I opted to have my other breast removed. I could not face the anguish and fear of another biopsy. After the lab results they found the tissue to be precancerous and the mastectomy probably was a lifesaver. My faith in God and my family kept my spirits up. I never let it get the best of me. I often wished I could visit other women who had just gone through what I had and help them know you can lead full lives after breast cancer, but I lived in a small town and did not drive so I was unable to fulfill that goal. My oldest daughter just finished 40 rounds of chemotherapy and at this time is cancer-free. I believe after having lived through my ordeal she had hope for a full recovery she may not have had otherwise. Both my daughters have yearly mammograms. With early detection cancer is treatable. I am 90 years old and have lived a full life. I thank God daily for every hour he gives me on this earth.
Irene Munyon, Goltry
