Breast Cancer Awareness Month: My Breast Cancer Journey

Information presented within this blog post does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your primary care manager if you have any health concerns.

On October 18, 2022, I became one of the 1-in-8: The 1-in-8 women who will get breast cancer. 

My cancer was caught early because I had a mammogram. Hearing the C-word was devastating. Saying it was worse. The first time I said the word cancer, referring to my cancer, I broke down. 

My journey began with a mammogram. I have dense breasts, so I was not surprised that I needed to have a second mammogram. I could tell from the technician’s facial expression that I was going to have another test, an ultrasound. It was during the ultrasound that I got worried. The technician brought in the radiologist, and they both looked concerned. They fit me in for a biopsy that day. 

A nurse called me the next evening, before the results were in my medical portal so I would hear it from a person, not see it on the computer. I tried not to cry, I failed. 

Things seemed to go so fast and then so slow, especially in the beginning. There were lots of tests, then waiting for results, then more tests because of the test results, and more waiting for results. These tests determined the type of breast cancer and made sure there were no other areas of concern. The waiting was the hardest part. 

I had an amazing cancer team at Mayo in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Every member of the team was so kind and helped my husband and I understand each step. They answered the million questions we asked, often before we had a chance to ask. One thing that stands out is the kindness. 

One core memory is having an MRI biopsy after they found a spot during one of my tests (which turned out to be nothing). I had to go in and out of the MRI throughout this procedure and it was not comfortable. I was facing down. Every time I went out one of the techs would put their hands on mine. This helped me so much through this. It was all so scary, but the staff provided such great support and kindness every step of the way. 

Before my cancer I had no idea there were different types of breast cancer or that there were different ways breast cancer is treated. I had the most common type, ductal carcinoma. 

There are different things that make the cancer grow. I had progesterone and estrogen positive cancer, meaning hormones fed my cancer. I was Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor (HER2) negative which means that this protein did not feed my cancer. They also identify how fast your cancer grows on a scale of 1 to 3. My cancer was grade 3, meaning it was fast growing. All this information determines how your cancer will be treated. The final test, not completed until after surgery, indicated how likely my cancer would return or spread and if chemotherapy would be of benefit. My test indicated I would not benefit from chemotherapy.

I had surgery on November 28. I had a lumpectomy that was consider a partial mastectomy and three lymph nodes removed. I was then sent to radiation therapy about eight weeks later. It was here I received my first ever tattoos, three small dots to help the radiation team make sure I was positioned correctly. I had nine sessions, going every weekday. The sessions were a mere 15 minutes, with a 45-minute drive each way. The first session was a bit scary, but the technicians were so kind and reassuring. They celebrated with me after I finished my last session on January 26, 2023.

Through all of this, and since, Tricare has been amazing. The cancer center had no issues, and I never had to reach out. Tricare even paid for genetic testing, something that not all insurance companies do. 

My compressed radiation schedule of nine days is a newer protocol that has the same amount of radiation of the standard 28 sessions. Not all insurance companies cover the newer protocol, Tricare did. 

Since then, they have covered my occupational therapy, with no limit to the number of sessions. Again, something that is not very common and has been a tremendous help. 

My treatment is not done. It continues for five years. I will be on hormone blockers during this time, since my cancer was fed by hormones. I meet with a doctor twice a year to check on how I am doing and receive a diagnostic mammogram annually where I receive the results the same day. I also receive periodic occupational therapy for some side effects of my treatment and wear a compression sleeve.

While cancer is scary, it has left me with some wonderful gifts. I appreciate my life so much more. I have learned not to take myself so seriously and recognize what is really important. My relationships are a priority, especially with my family. My husband and I are much closer. We have changed our lives so we can spend more time together and do all the things we had been planning like going south for the winter!

While I would not wish cancer on anyone, I choose to find the positive. 

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Rose Holland has served the military community for over 30 years in a variety of roles as a volunteer and family program staff. Through this work, she has seen many inequities imposed upon military families. Her passion to assist military families is driven by her own experience as a military spouse of almost 33 years and has shaped the service she provides. Rose became an activist for military families in the area of career and employment, serving as a career counselor and providing corporate and local organizations insights into the military world and helping the community understand the hidden talent pool of military families.

Rose has a BBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, a Master’s in Theological Studies with a focus on pastoral care from Saint Norbert College in DePere Wisconsin, and a Doctorate in Education with a focus in Educational Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Her dissertation project focused on military spouses in federal employment and their perceptions of perceptions of federal position during the pandemic.