Welcome to Breast Reconstruction Thoughts (a profile series) at Life Reconstructed. Each Tuesday this fall, I will feature a woman who has undergone a single or bilateral mastectomy. Most have also undergone breast reconstruction, but some have not. Some entered this world through cancer, others due to testing positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene which highly increases their chances of a future cancer diagnosis.
Each woman will tell us a little bit about herself and her experience. I hope their words will serve to bring encouragement to those who need it, and enlightenment to those who haven’t walked this path.
My first guest is Cathy.
Name: Cathy Van Maanen
Family: 3 adult children, Alex, Erica (& husband David, Kristyne & Jake), Anna
Occupation: Librarian & children’s theater director
Hobbies/Interests: books, walking, movies, my grandkids
Diagnosis: I had stage 1 Breast Cancer, originally diagnosed as Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. After a lumpectomy it was determined I really needed a mastectomy. A tumor was discovered and removed during the lumpectomy, but the margins weren’t clear so we proceeded with the mastectomy a few weeks later.
Age at Time of Diagnosis: 40
Type of Reconstruction: TRAM (transverse rectal abdominal muscle, tunneled under the skin to form new breast)
Profile Questions
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What was your initial response to your cancer diagnosis?
Fear for my kids. They were 9, 8, and 4 at the time of diagnosis. I had been widowed at age 35, and at the time of diagnosis had recently remarried. (Yes, the 4-year-old was born shortly after her father’s death.) I will never forget my 4-year-old daughter’s comment while we were driving down the street. “Sorry you got cancer Mommy, and I hope you don’t die, but at least I got to know you.” Now that’s a wake-up call. Read More