Mucinous cancer, such as the kind Debbra was diagnosed with, is rare and difficult to diagnose due to a lack of lump formation.
Transcript
Mine was a unique start in my journey. I lost an aunt and it wasn’t to breast cancer but it was to cancer. And for some reason I just had this feeling in my gut that there was just something and I can’t explain it. And so, I just went to my physician and asked to have a mammogram early. And then all the things lined up. So with the mammogram, they’d seen something suspicious and then they sent me for an ultrasound. And I was just lucky that I had a senior ultrasound technician who realized that what she was seeing was just different than what she’s normally used to seeing. She wasn’t seeing a lump because I was diagnosed with mucinous cancer, which is a slimy cancer that sort of spreads and so you don’t get the lump. I did have another component to my cancer but it was a smaller component. So it was very, very fortunate that I had an experienced ultrasound person who saw it.
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- Alternative and complementary therapies – DebbraCounselling for Debbra is a safe place to speak about some of her worries. She also hopes it will be a 'security blanket' for her son.
- Chemotherapy -DebbraDebbra found another oncologist with the help of a social worker; her experience with chemotherapy improved after that.
- Reconstruction surgery – DebbraThe surgeon would come in, inject Debbra and leave; it was impossible to speak to him.
- Reconstruction surgery – DebbraDebbra describes the variety of prosthetic products.
- Finding and sharing information – DebbraDebbra described some good national resources.
- Relating to health care professionals – DebbraDebbra would show staff the picture of her son to humanize the relationship.
- Relating to health care professionals – DebbraDebbra feels it is possible to disagree with health professionals and communicate that in a polite manner.
- Perspectives on treatment pathways – DebbraDebbra describes moments where she had to fight for care based on her own decisions.
- Testing and diagnosis – DebbraDebbra felt overwhelmed when she was told indirectly that it could be breast cancer.
- First symptoms – DebbraMucinous cancer, such as the kind Debbra was diagnosed with, is rare and difficult to diagnose due to a lack of lump formation.