“My name is Letty and this is my Survivor Story. One day, I noticed a very small knot in my breast. I went to the doctor and was told I had a fiber cyst. Due to my age, they didn’t perform routine mammograms on young women. About 6 months later, I felt and heard a pop in my breast and my breast became noticeably hard. I went back to the doctor and had a biopsy and mammogram performed. Following the procedures, I was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma – Stage 3. I had a mastectomy followed by 6 months of chemotherapy. At the time of my cancer diagnosis, my children were 10, 5 and 3 years old. We all survived! You see, breast cancer runs on my father’s side of the family and I was told I could only get it from my mother’s side. I hope women take charge of their health by hearing my story. If you notice a knot or even the slightest variation in one of your breasts, please go get it checked. It is very important to do self-breast exams. In my case, it saved my life!”
Letty is a Radiology and Mammography Technician at the Francis Women’s Center. She is a 21-year breast cancer survivor.