IN LATE 2015, Joni, then 63, developed a painful sore that wouldn't
heal on her right breast. The mother of three and grandmother of two
went to her doctor, who prescribed medication and recommended that
Joni—who had not had a mammogram in more than a decade—go in
for the breast cancer screening. Joni was reluctant, but her doctor was
insistent, and the Longmont resident finally went to Longmont United
Hospital's Women's Imaging Center for what she thought would be a
routine screening.
Joni didn't think much about the screening—she had been tired,
but otherwise felt great—until she got a letter saying she needed to
come back for a second test.
"My daughter, who is a doctor, thought it was routine because she
knew that sometimes a second look is needed," Joni remembers.
"I was still reluctant. After much discussion, I made the appointment."
Once she returned to the Women's Imaging Center, Joni knew
the visit wasn't routine. The staff did a second mammogram,
immediately followed by an ultrasound, and then a biopsy. Before
she knew it, she was sitting in a room with LUH radiologist and
women's imaging specialist Hilarie Gutierrez, MD, who told Joni she
had three visible cysts. Two days later, Joni's primary care physician
called her back with the pathology report: Joni had stage I breast
cancer in her left breast.
DECISIONS
"I just couldn't believe it—no one could," she says. "I felt great, and I
maintain a pretty active lifestyle by swimming at the local YMCA and
taking my dog on frequent walks."
However, Joni has a family history of breast cancer. Her sister lost
her battle with the disease many years earlier, which influenced
Joni's decision to have a bilateral mastectomy—the removal of both
breasts—performed by Gerlinde Tynan, MD, FACS, in March 2016.
MOVING ON
Soon after her surgery, Joni joined a program called Livestrong that
helped her regain her strength and endurance, and worked with Jodi,
an LUH physical therapist, to regain arm and shoulder mobility after
her surgery. Though she has been cancer free since her surgery a year
ago, Joni will continue to see her oncologist for the next five years for
follow-up care.
"My story was a good one because I had a team of physicians who
cared about me, but it could have been a very bad one," Joni says.
"Now, I encourage every woman I know or meet to pick a meaningful
date each year to take care of her physical health by getting a
mammogram and other tests she might need."
›
Have you had your annual mammogram yet? Call LUH's
Women's Imaging Center today at 303-651-5121 to
schedule yours.
Is Not Enough
Hilarie Gutierrez, MD, Breast Radiologist,
and Joni Miller, former cancer patient.
BE SCREENING SAVVY
The American Congress of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists recommends women have annual
screening mammograms beginning at age 40. Women
at increased risk for breast cancer, including those with a
family history of the disease, should start earlier. Consult
with your doctor about the screening schedule that's right
for you.
Ignoring your health
because you don't feel
sick isn't a great strategy
for cancer prevention.
Just ask Joni Miller.
ONCE
303-651-5111 LUHCARES.ORG / 3
