Jan's Story

On 14th October 2009, I went to check the mail. As soon as I opened the letterbox, I knew who the letter was from. I felt my stomach do a slight flip-flop as I ripped open the envelope right there and then:

“Dear Janice Patterson
Your mammogram has been reported by two qualified radiologists ….. and I am pleased to inform you that they found: NO EVIDENCE OF BREAST CANCER.”

Suddenly I felt lighter! I breathed a sigh of relief, raced up the driveway and tapped on the window of my 91 year old Dad’s granny flat beneath my house. “It’s okay”, I said. “The mammogram was okay!” I could see the relief on his dear face as he broke into a big smile.

However, on 18 December 2001, it was a different story. I strode confidently that day into a West Auckland radiology clinic for my second free mammogram, compliments of the national breast screening programme, BreastScreen Aotearoa. At 52 years of age, my first mammogram at age 50 had been clear. After all, why would it not be? There was no known history of breast cancer in my family. I breastfed my two children for two and four years respectively; we all ate healthy food. I didn’t smoke, I jogged regularly and had no obvious risk factors. I didn’t give the mammogram a second thought.

Imagine, then, my absolute astonishment when, in January 2002, I was called back to BreastScreen Aotearoa for further mammogram views, clinical examination and ultrasound evaluation, followed by a stereotactic biopsy. Information was drip-fed to me, no doubt with the best intentions. I was told I had an early form of non-invasive breast cancer, a “pre-cancer”. Probable treatment would be a “wide-excision biopsy” and possibly some radiotherapy just to make sure. I was at home on my own when a copy of a letter to my GP dated 22 January 2002 arrived. I sat on my bed to read it. It stated that the result of the tests was intraductal carcinoma and “this area would require extensive segmenting +/- radiotherapy or total mastectomy.” This was the first time I had heard the word “mastectomy” mentioned. At that point, I went into shock.

Suddenly, I was on the breast cancer roller coaster. I had Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). For someone who has always leaned towards natural or alternative pathways, the thought of a mastectomy posed a huge dilemma, especially when I read that not all DCIS becomes full-blown breast cancer. What finally made up my mind was the pathology report that showed the DCIS was medium to high grade, giving it a greater chance of developing into invasive breast cancer. I knew I did not want to live with a time bomb.

My first step was to ask for time. The public health system, believe it or not, was rushing me towards that hospital faster than I could cope with. I needed time to come to grips with my diagnosis and my reading told me that a few more weeks was not going to make much difference. I visited a homeopath/naturopath, started meditating in earnest, gathered the girlfriends for a “Farewell to the Breast” ritual; took photographs, started an album and set about taking control of the journey.

On 4 March 2002, a partial mastectomy was performed which did not result in clear margins. Therefore, a left breast skin-sparing mastectomy followed on 22 April 2002, along with a tissue expander to start the process of implant reconstruction (implants vs tummy tuck – that’s another story!). I wanted minimal surgery and quick recovery. The end result was, and still is, fantastic and I thank my medical team for their skill, compassion and care – from the first surgery to the final nipple tattoo!

I’ve been back up and running (literally) for going on eight years now, living every day to the fullest and doing my best to fulfil all the passions I said I’d “one day” do! It hasn’t all been smooth sailing. I still miss my darling Aunty Cal who died in a tragic car accident the week before my surgery. Sadly, my dear Marcus, a life-long friend who nurtured me through the darkest times of my breast cancer experience, passed away suddenly of a heart attack 18 months ago. When I think about breast cancer, I think about them too.

Yet days go by when I seldom or never think about breast cancer. But my radar is always operating. I support breast cancer causes; I talk to women who need support. I believe in the precautionary principles. I eat organic food and have replaced most of my household and cosmetic products with environmentally-friendly ones with as few chemicals as possible. I jog and do pilates and have changed the way I think about life. I’m not obsessive though – I still enjoy bubbles in the summer and sauvignon blanc in the winter! After all, we only have today. None of us knows what the future holds. So I live my life, have fun whenever possible and once in a while I even go over the top!

Now I look for the hidden blessings. One day I’m going to write a book – just for me, probably. It’s going to be called “Cal’s Legacy” after my dear Aunty Cal. Cal’s legacy is to look for the lesson or the positive message behind every difficult time. It’s not an easy legacy to follow and there are some situations where I still haven’t fathomed the lesson. But there have been so many blessings since 2002. I’d love to tell you about some of them here – but that’s another story!

Jan's Story

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