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1 mother, 2 daughters, 3 breast cancer survivors
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Frances Jordan
is 101 years old. Her daughters Marcia Norman and Marlene Sweet are 74 and 69
years old, respectively. Each is a recent breast cancer survivor.
Over a
four-month period at the end of 2022, the sisters underwent double mastectomies
while their mother had a mastectomy of her right breast.
Now
cancer-free, the family is urging others to take preventive steps to protect
themselves from the disease -- doing self-exams, getting screened, and
advocating for yourself when something feels off.
"If women think
something's wrong -- even if the mammogram says it's good -- they should talk to
their doctor and push for an ultrasound," Sweet said.
"And find a
doctor who will listen like Dr. Grayson and Dr. Deitsch did."
Sweet was first
diagnosed with cancer in 2007 when a mass was found in her right breast during
a mammogram. She asked to have both breasts removed, but her provider at the
time -- who worked for a health system other than Reid -- recommended a less
invasive course of treatment. Sweet had a lumpectomy, had lymph nodes removed, underwent
radiation, and had hormone therapy.
Four years
later, a mass was found in her left breast. That led to another lumpectomy,
more lymph nodes being removed, a hysterectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy.
"For all those
years, I was constantly worried about any pain I felt, any lump I felt,
anything different. I was constantly asking to have my breasts taken off,"
Sweet said.
In 2021, she
stopped taking her medication, believing she was finally cancer-free.
A year later,
as Jordan neared her 100th birthday, she received her own cancer
diagnosis. One breast had been getting smaller than the other, something she
initially dismissed as a side effect of her age.
"And then come
to find out, I had a large lump in there," she said.
"Which she hid
from us," Norman interjected.
"Thinking about
my age, I didn't know if I wanted to go through with what I would have to go
through. I just kind of hid it and forgot about it," Jordan said.
Jordan had stopped
getting mammograms in her 80s. "Who would think she would live to be over a
hundred?" Sweet said.
"If you're not comfortable with the doctor you have, find one you are comfortable with and who will listen to you. Dr. Grayson, Dr. Deitsch, and their staffs were amazing with us." -- Marlene Sweet
Andrew Deitsch,
MD, of Reid Pediatric & Internal Medicine determined Jordan's shrinking
breast was the result of cancer. He referred her to Thomas Grayson, MD, of Reid's
General Surgeons.
"I was so
worried because of her age Dr. Grayson wouldn't want to do the surgery," Sweet
said.
But there was
no need for concern. Dr. Deitsch had already spoken to Dr. Grayson on Jordan's
behalf.
"Dr. Grayson
and Dr. Deitsch and all their staff were so good to have faith in Mom and to do
everything they could to help her," Sweet said.
Jordan had her
mastectomy in September. Two months later, it was Norman's turn.
A regular mammogram in October showed a discrepancy in the results. Norman then had a second mammogram and an ultrasound that led to her breast cancer diagnosis. Although her cancer was only in Stage 1, given her family history with the disease, she was a good candidate for a double mastectomy. Her procedure was done in November.
"It was a
whirlwind. I went from my mammogram on a Wednesday, on Thursday I met with Dr.
Grayson, on Monday he scheduled my surgery," Norman said. "I hadn't even told
anybody because I couldn't get it through my head."
Norman's
diagnosis prompted Sweet to have a mammogram of her own. A mass was found, but
a biopsy determined it wasn't cancerous. The news actually was somewhat
disappointing to Sweet.
"I had been
fighting to get both my breasts off. Dr. Grayson said I was the only patient
he'd ever had that when he said, 'You don't have cancer,' I hung my head and
said, 'I know,'" she said. "I was so close to getting done what I really felt I
needed.
"But he fought
for me to get approval to have both my breasts taken off."
The family
praised the treatment they received from their Reid Health care teams.
"I have seen
pictures of women with mastectomies -- and I know every case is different -- but
Dr. Grayson's closure technique was so good for us," Sweet said.
"If you're not
comfortable with the doctor you have, find one you are comfortable with and who
will listen to you. Dr. Grayson, Dr. Deitsch, and their staffs were amazing
with us."
To schedule a screening mammogram, contact the Reid Health Breast Center at (765) 983-3358. Reid offers state-of-the-art 3D mammograms that are proven to better detect breast cancer.