Chrissy Dilday - Attitude Wins

Hello, my name is Chrissy, and I AM a survivor of Breast Cancer for 5 months now. I am so honored that I was asked to share my story with anyone who is willing to take the time to read it and know that your health is worth the time it takes to read it. I say that because I am a mother of 3 beautiful grown children, and I am guilty of not taking the time to take care of myself because I was always putting my kids’ needs first. I was so diligent to make sure they went to the doctor, got their teeth cleaned, and their eyes checked. You know, all the things they needed by the deadline they needed to be done. Why did I not think I was worth that same time and attention? My mother has always told me that everything in my life is done in God’s timing. I truly believe that, and I believe that God was speaking to me the day I realized I needed to stop putting myself last and get my annual checkup with my doctor. The sad thing is, it had been over 3 years since I had last done that.

Ironically, in October of 2022, I had just returned home from Texas after spending a week helping take care of my best friend who was undergoing chemo for breast cancer. It was tugging at me that I needed to get checked out and so I did. I didn’t have any signs or symptoms of breast cancer. I just wanted to follow through with the promise I made to myself to stop putting myself last. I had total faith that everything was going to be fine and that I was going to get back on a regular schedule of preventative care.

Fast forward 3 months, I got the call that my mammogram came back, and I needed a biopsy. They simply told me there were some calcifications that they wanted to biopsy. I wasn’t worried and I played it off and said, “I’m sure it’s nothing” and I would be fine. It was March 15th, 2023.

My husband, Chris, and I went to the doctor’s appointment with the surgeon to hear what he had to say. He showed me my mammogram and the suspicious spots. I call them “freckles” and they were everywhere in the right breast with collections of larger clusters. I was instructed to go the following day to the hospital for a biopsy and lab work. I, still, was totally not worried, feeling like I was wasting everyone’s time. But the doctor kept saying something that stuck with me; that I needed to “prepare myself”. I still had total faith it was nothing and if it was something, I would just take it out. I could tell it was weighing on my husband. I was more worried about my husband and kids and what this was doing to them more than myself. You see, my husband lost his mother to pancreatic cancer just 3 years prior, almost to the day, so it was fresh in my family’s mind, that loss can come from cancer. The next day was my husband’s birthday and the day I had my biopsy. I was more worried about the fact that it was his birthday, and the old me would have put the procedure off, but God was telling me to take care of me.

The biopsy itself was something really not as bad as I thought it would be and very minimal overall - Piece of Cake! From there it’s a blur. I don’t remember if they just put a Band-Aid or stitches or how it came out or anything. I just remember thinking I wanted to get on with my day, my life, and not think about it and just celebrate my husband’s birthday.

So, I recovered from my biopsy and then we waited….

It was 5 days later, and I was at home like any other day. My phone rang and I saw that it was the doctor. I took a deep breath and said out loud, “Here we go”. I realize now, looking back, that I was in shock because I don’t remember exactly what he said, but I do remember just thinking, whatever he said, I was going to have to break the news to my family and how I was going to break their hearts. The doctor’s news was something like, “I hate to tell you this, but it is cancer”. The doctor was great with everything else he said by being positive about doing a lumpectomy and radiation. I was still in my positive space that it would be removed and all would be well. There were several other appointments they wanted me to do in a very short period of time, which made me panic. My sister is an oncology nurse and she encouraged me to get more testing done, as did my general practitioner, so I went to Vanderbilt to just educate myself more, if nothing else. I was worried because, like I said before, it looked like white freckles (the term I came up with) and I wanted to just take the whole breast(s) off and be done with it. Everyone deals with difficult times in their own way. Some want to just listen to their doctors, some want to educate themselves by talking to other Breast Cancer patients and survivors, and that’s what I did. I took the knowledge I gained from spending that week in Texas with my best friend who was currently going through her fight, and I also interviewed other friends of mine who were survivors. In the past, I would have never asked them such personal questions, but now my life was being affected and I starved for, not only how they felt their process was, but how they came to the decision on what to do, how to do it and what they would have done differently. I will forever be grateful that they opened up and shared their stories with me.

My appointment date with Vanderbilt arrived and the oncology surgeon (specialist) agreed that I should do a double mastectomy because of the placement of the clusters. This also would make it so that I wouldn’t need radiation or any other treatment. She wanted to be “smart, not swift”, so she sent me for an MRI first and then back to her for another same-day consultation where I met with the plastic surgeon. 

Six weeks later, my family and friends threw me a Farewell party for my boobies (and a prayer vigil) to keep me in that positive place I had always been in. I met this challenge head-on, and I truly believe my positive attitude (or denial) is what has helped me through. The next morning, I went to the hospital and had the double mastectomy, removing the breast tissue as well as the nipples, due to the cancer being so close behind them. In the same surgery, the plastic surgeon placed tissue expanders where my breast tissue used to be. This was my first time ever being put under or having surgery like this and I was so pleasantly surprised how great I felt when I woke up and my breasts were gone, but not gone. The tissue expanders were filled with saline every week for 7 weeks until I had what most people would say are boobs but I say are “Barbie boobs” because I don’t have any nipples. My daughter was always embarrassed when I would ask my closest friends and family if they wanted to touch them or see them. I flashed more people during the first 2 months of recovery than I ever had in my life, which was never. There is something about not having nipples that liberated me. I wasn’t embarrassed, ashamed, or sad. I was relieved that I was on my way to recovery. 

I still have one more surgery to replace my tissue expanders with my new breasts, but I was cleared within 7 weeks of my diagnosis as “cancer-free” by deciding to do the double mastectomy. I am thankful to God for everyone who helped me make and be confident in that decision. I hope someone reads this and not only chooses to put themselves first but also reaches out to others for support. Survivors know that if you want help, you will ask. And they will gladly do that in hopes of helping spread the word. Step one is to get your mammogram done early and regularly! Make time for your health!

Think Pink During October

Jamie Knight, MS, Kentucky Cancer Program

Each October, along with the traditional colors of fall, you may notice pops of pink across your community! Pink represents a spirit of unity and hope during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and honors those who have fought and are fighting this disease. Pink is about increasing breast cancer awareness and is a wonderful way to start conversations about the importance of screening.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women, as one in eight women will be diagnosed in her lifetime. Fortunately, advances in technology have given us tools that allow for early detection, when cancer is early stage, and outcomes are more favorable. Mammograms are the best tool available for detection, and women should begin screening by age 40, or possibly earlier if they have a close family member who has had breast cancer. Also, women should be aware of how their breasts look and feel, and if there are any changes, they should speak with their healthcare provider. 

Risk factors for breast cancer are typically factors that cannot be changed; primary risk factors include being a woman, aging (most breast cancers are found in women age 50 and older), and personal or family history of breast cancer. Although most breast cancers cannot be prevented, making healthy lifestyle choices can help reduce risk for some cancers. These include not smoking, eating a low-fat diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, routine exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol.

Most cancer screenings are covered by insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. If you do not have insurance, the Kentucky Women’s Cancer Screening Program may be able to help. Call 1-844-249-0708 to see if you are eligible, and find a screening location near you. We invite you to visit our Kentucky Cancer Program webpage, for up-to-date cancer resources, www.kycancerprogram.org. We offer an easy-to-use online tool, Pathfinder, that can link you to a variety of cancer resources in your area. 

In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Horses & Hope Pink Mustang Tour is hitting the road, and will be making a stop at the Pink Out event on Friday, October 27, from 3-5 pm at WKDZ! Free gifts will be given to honor breast cancer survivors, and free souvenirs will be available as well. Breast cancer information will be provided, including referrals for free mammograms for program-eligible women. 

We hope that you will join us, and also join us in wearing pink this month; it’s so much more than a color.