Kim Van Dusen

Survivor

I was first diagnosed with DCIS, Stage 0 Breast Cancer, in 2011, at a young age. I ended up having two lumpectomies in 2012 and was then cleared of any cancerous calcifications. I ended up changing my diet, beauty products, and cleaning products I had used, had two children, and went 7 years without a problem. Now, in 2019, I just had my yearly diagnostic mammogram and they just confirmed that they found DCIS again in the same spot. I will be going to the doctor next week to determine my treatment plan and next steps. I have so many questions and will definitely get a few opinions before taking action. I thought and hoped this part of my story was over but it looks like this will be a lifelong struggle. I feel very blessed that it is only Stage 0 and try to be brave but sometimes it is just hard and I struggle. My children keep me motivated and strong and they are my true happiness that helps me get through. I unfortunately have known many other women survivors, but have never met anyone else with DCIS, previously or currently. I will be looking into starting or joining a support group in my area. If you haven’t heard of DCIS, “according to the American Cancer Society, about 60,000 cases of DCIS are diagnosed in the United States each year, accounting for about 1 out of every 5 new breast cancer cases.”