Newsroom
10/24/2005
In memory of Maureen, get good breast exams
Editor: In November 1994 Maureen called me into the bedroom and said "Bill, feel this." It was a lump she found doing a self breast exam in the shower.
We both knew it wasn't normal so we visited our doctor. A mammogram was scheduled and followed by an ultrasound. A cyst was the diagnosis, we were told, nothing to worry about, common in women. Come back in a year for your annual mammogram.
Great news. We all worry when we find a lump or one is found during a clinical breast exam. Or even when something is found on an annual mammogram. But we were happy, nothing to worry about.
Maureen and I went on living our lives. Enjoying the pleasures of life, our community, our church, our sons. It was May of 1995, six months before her annual mammogram. Maureen was worried about this lump, it was bothering her, irritating her when she wore an underwire bra. She wanted a second opinion. So she made an appointment with a second doctor.
The doctor told Maureen she wasn't due for her mammogram until November of 1995 but did a clinical breast exam. She read her last reports and noted the lump she had before was still there and she also found another lump. She confirmed the first diagnosis of breast cyst. Fibrocystic disease she called it. She told us, don't worry, common in women, come back in November for your mammogram. So again, happy to hear the news. Nothing to worry about. November of 1995 rolls around and we go back to the second doctor. Mammogram and ultrasound are done. Two lumps are noted, she said they were cysts, common again, don't worry. Come back in a year for your annual mammogram.
May of 1996, Maureen wants these lumps just removed, if there nothing to worry about then let's get rid of them. So off we go back to the doctor, demand to see a surgeon and the doctor agrees.
We went to our third opinion, the surgeon exams Maureen, does an ultrasound in his office and comes back to tell us "I can't remove the two lumps, you have way too many lumps and if I removed all of them you'd lose half your breast." Again the surgeon confirmed the diagnosis of fibrocystic disease.
January of 1997, Maureen finds a new lump under her arm. She makes an appointment with a different doctor, our fourth opinion. The rest of the story is history, stage four, full blown, mestastic breast cancer. The cancer was found exactly where Maureen was complaining about her lump from the first visit. She died a horrible death 15 months later.
This is the hero part. Before she died she called me into our bedroom. She said "Bill, I want you to promise me something, promise me you'll tell my story and save another woman's life." And I made that promise, over seven years ago. I have never given up on that promise. Maureen's story saves lives. Her mission, Maureen's Mission, can be visited at www.maureensmission.org.
I am working hard to ensure all women in this country have access to a health care provider specialized in breast care. I have written a bill that is being reviewed in legislation to protect all women from this terrible, preventable fate. An early, correct diagnosis could have saved Maureen's life. Make sure your health care provider is specialized in breast care. All doctors must treat breast lumps as cancerous until proven benign. It's your right.
Bill Thiel
West Wyoming
