During the month of October we are sharing stories from women whose lives and experiences have been shaped by a breast cancer diagnosis. We hope these stories will help provide comfort and courage to others whose lives have been touched by cancer.

In November of 2014 I went for my yearly mammogram. I was called back for a repeat mammogram on one side. I was not the least bit concerned, as we had no family history of breast cancer.  As it turned out that afternoon I went from a mammogram, to an ultrasound, and then a needle biopsy. I was shocked to be diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in-situ. Since then I have had a lumpectomy, 33 radiation treatments, and will be on medication for five years.

I was fortunate enough to have this DCIS caught very early. It was about the size of a grain of rice when the mammogram detected it — much too small for me to find during a self-examination. I am now a firm believer in mammograms, just ask any woman that works with me in the SBL laboratory – nearly all of them have been for their mammograms, many with strong and insistent encouragement from me!

Since breast cancer is nondiscriminatory, I urge both men and women to perform self-breast exams. I also would stress the importance of keeping your yearly mammogram appointments. I hate to think what I would have had to go through if I had missed that appointment and had found that lump much later when it would have been large enough to palpate.

-Gina Seibert