Eve Laidacker has always been healthy. She’s been an athlete for most of her life, doesn’t drink or smoke and there isn’t a history of cancer on either side of her family. Eve was not just shocked at her breast cancer diagnosis, but at the fact she had to advocate for herself to be heard when something was wrong.
Finding a Lump and Advocating for a Mammogram
In April 2020, Eve felt a lump in her breast. She reached out to her primary care physician, who told her it was likely mastitis (breast inflammation). “I was 57 at the time,” Eve said. “I did some homework and found that mastitis is rarely diagnosed in postmenopausal women.”
Eve reached back out to her doctor and asked to have a mammogram. “She recommended I wait until my yearly mammogram appointment in July, but I disagreed with her,” Eve said. “I called every day for almost two weeks, asking for an order to be placed for a mammogram.”
A Mammogram, Breast Ultrasound and Biopsy
Almost two months later, in June, Eve got in for a mammogram. As soon as it was completed, she was walked down the hall for an ultrasound. “A very kind radiologist came into the room and told me he found aggressive and invasive disease,” she said. “I had to confirm with him that he was talking about breast cancer.” Two weeks later, on her birthday, Eve had a biopsy.
Eve talked to a friend who was a retired breast surgeon, who recommended she get a medical oncologist. When Eve reached out to her doctor asking for a referral to an oncologist, her doctor said to wait. “I called every day for the next week, asking for a referral. When she wouldn’t place the order for the referral, I made an appointment myself,” Eve said. She immediately felt at ease with the oncologist, and they started to discuss next steps.
Breast Cancer Diagnosis and a Call for Being Proactive
When the oncologist called with Eve’s biopsy results, she asked her if she was driving and if so, to pull over. “That’s when I knew this couldn’t be good,” Eve said. “I had HER2+, ER/PR- breast cancer. She was very concerned because it had moved to lymph nodes under my right arm.” Eve’s doctor told her the cancer was aggressive and invasive.
“I did make one more phone call to my primary care physician because I wanted to make sure she saw the test results. It was clear that I would not be returning as her patient,” Eve said. “I asked her to please be more proactive the next time for patients who may not be able to advocate for themselves, or for the patient who doesn’t know to advocate for themselves.”
Breast Cancer Treatment
Eve’s treatment included 20 rounds of chemotherapy, a mastectomy on her right side and 25 rounds of radiation. “It was during COVID, so my surgeon was concerned about my mastectomy, because surgeries were being cancelled, but we were able to move forward,” Eve said.
Throughout treatment, Eve’s large family helped immensely, sitting with her during chemotherapy appointments, walking her dog, cleaning her house. “They rearranged their lives to support me,” she said. “I was truly blessed.”
Eve had a second mastectomy on the left side, and she is currently in the middle of breast reconstruction. “I’m grateful there’s no evidence of disease right now,” she said. “I tell everyone, please listen to your body. If you feel like you aren’t getting the right answers, keep asking. Advocate for yourself.”
Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
