Maureen's Story

At 47, Maureen never expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer. She had no risk factors, no family history and she had breastfed her three children (which some studies suggest reduces breast cancer risk).

Yet on February 1, 2001, Maureen, got the news she hoped she’d never hear. "I clearly remember the exact moment the doctor called me," she says. "He told me we have good news and bad news. The good news is that the tumor is small. The bad news is that is malignant."

As a registered nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital, Maureen knew the faces of cancer, caring for patients before and after surgery. She held their hands and listened to their stories. She knew cancer would be a life-changing journey.

An annual mammogram finds changes

Even before her diagnosis, Maureen was diligent about getting yearly mammograms. For several years, her doctor noticed a cyst in her right breast. Through needle aspiration it was found it to be a fluid filled cyst. She didn't spend much time worrying about it.

After a routine mammogram in late November 2000, Maureen was called back when her doctor noticed changes in both breasts. "After several mammograms and ultrasounds, the radiologist suggested I wait six months and then come back to see if there were more changes. I asked him 'If this were your daughter, sister or mother, what would you do? Would you tell her to wait 6 months?' My radiologist said yes."

Soon after, at her annual exam and mammogram, Maureen’s doctor looked over the tests and agreed with the radiologist. "But he also understood my concerns and suggested I see a surgeon if it would make me feel better."

A biopsy and a diagnosis

In the surgeon's office, they tried to aspirate the cyst, but couldn’t draw out any fluid. Instead, Maureen underwent a biopsy. After several tense days, she got the results. "I had breast cancer. The benign cyst was still there, but now there was also a malignant tumor behind it."

"My mind was racing," Maureen recalls. "My children were 16, 18 and 20. Please, I thought, let me live to see my kids graduate and grow up."

As she prepared for treatment, Maureen says "I wanted someone – my husband, my doctor – to tell me 'Maureen, you need to do this.' But cancer and cancer treatment is such a personal thing."

To give herself the best chance at beating cancer, Maureen scheduled a right mastectomy. However, knowing her doctor was also concerned about changes in her left breast, she knew there was a possibility she would need to have both breasts removed.

Finding a place of peace

Maureen credits her faith with helping her prepare for surgery. She took time to pray, reflect and ask God for guidance. "Two nights before surgery, I came to a peaceful place. I knew if I needed to have a double mastectomy, it would be okay."

She scheduled her surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital, the same place she worked, but worried about being vulnerable in front of her co-workers. It didn’t take long for those concerns to melt away. "I can't tell you how much good and loving care I got at St. Joseph's," she says.

When Maureen woke up after surgery, she put her hand to her chest. "I asked the nurse, did both of my breasts go?" The nurse quietly said yes. Even in that moment, Maureen was at peace with her decision. "For me, having surgery decreased my worry. I knew I had done everything I could."

Maureen went on to have six months of chemotherapy, also at St. Joseph's. A year later she had breast reconstruction surgery. "It turned out just fine. They're not my 'real' breasts, but my husband emphasizes something that's more important - they don’t have cancer."

Through everything, Maureen's strongest supporters were her family. "My kids were wonderful. My daughter would change my dressings before school. I often thought 'What other high schoolers have to see their mom without breasts and have to change dressings and tubes?' But she was really great. My boys would go with me to chemo. My husband truly taught me what 'for better or for worse' means in a marriage. And my sister was my rock throughout it all."

Co-workers were also behind her all the way. She walked in the Komen Race for the Cure the first year after her diagnosis. As a touching surprise, St. Joseph's staff brought their families and participated in the race, carrying posters and signs of support – all in Maureen's honor.

From one patient to another

Speaking from experience, Maureen likes to tell patients there are no stupid questions. "I tell them they can ask me anything. I know for me, it was wonderful to be able to call [the Breast Care Center] and ask any questions I had. The whole journey was easier because I felt like these people were totally concerned. Staff always took the time to talk with me."

When asked for advice for those with cancer, Maureen shares, "If people offer to help, take them up on it. Friends and family often feel really helpless. Let them cook for you or give you a ride to chemo. Even if it’s something small, it will make them feel like they're able to do something for you."

A new perspective

Maureen now holds a deeper understanding for what her patients are going through. "I can take a patient's hand and say it's horrible to have been told you have cancer and I really know what it's like. It was a hard time when I went through it, but in the end it's made me a better nurse."

She also feels blessed that cancer has given her a new perspective. "I've learned to let the small things go and enjoy every day. I feel we're all here for a reason - to help each other. Cancer has shown me it's so important to be there, without hesitation, to help others."

Maureen lives a full, vibrant life after cancer. She is willing to talk to others who are affected by cancer, to share her story with them and to listen. To contact Maureen, call Sacha Kelly, Breast Care Coordinator at 651-326-3081.