Katie is grateful that she caught her cancer in its early stages. In the summer of 2022, the mammogram that had been put off until then finally happened, and the findings showed a tiny tumor the size of an olive.
Katie immediately underwent a lumpectomy and radiation treatment. Now inspired, Katie wants to use her experience to promote cancer research.
“In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to share my story. I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and am currently undergoing treatment. I wanted to share my diagnosis, medical care, and overall experience so that others could learn from my experience. “.
Katie recommends scheduling frequent doctor visits and stresses the importance of thorough cancer screenings. She also draws attention to patients with thick breasts who are at higher risk. Mammography may be less likely to detect abnormalities in breasts that are dense, which are present in almost half of the American women.
Katie maintains open lines of communication with her medical team. She meets with the chief of breast surgery and the surgical breast oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center to discuss the methods for diagnosis and therapy.
Both Lisa Newman, MD, and Susan Drossman, MD, are interventional breast radiologists. Katie shares her unedited recordings from while she was in treatment to give readers a real look into her experience. Because of this, readers will find it simpler to understand what she is going through.
The two Monahan daughters, Ellie and Carrie, talk about their emotions in this episode as they deal with their mother’s illness. They talk honestly about how they handled the situation. Along with Michele Young, Katie also speaks with Michele about the campaign to alter Ohio’s breast cancer screening requirements. Young talks about how the illness has affected her personally and how it has changed her.
Although I used to be very unresponsive to her, especially when I was in college, she has been calling and texting me frequently lately. But now, she frequently calls and FaceTimes me, sometimes without prior notice. We talk a lot during the day, but this morning when I woke up, I hadn’t heard from her. She pleaded with me to call her later by text. “.
She often behaves in this way. It might be for a pointless reason unrelated to the topic. I remember that she called me on FaceTime once. Even though I was afraid, she reassured me that everything was fine. She may have brought up cancer in doing that, in my opinion. “.
“Despite my worries, she recognized right away that she had access to top-notch medical professionals and that it was still early. She informed me that our scheduled trip would have to be canceled due to the timing of the treatment. Don’t tell Ellie because I’ll tell her, she pleaded. “.
In the middle of a busy summer, Ellie Monahan struggled with her mother’s assessment that she was somewhat different from Carrie. “I’ve had anxiety my entire life, and my mother and I frequently discuss it. I’ve only recently mastered the art of letting go. She was still on my speed dial, and we continued to communicate frequently. It used to happen frequently, but now it only occurs on rare occasions. Being married and 31 years old, I don’t mind. “.
“I had been preoccupied with three weddings, so my spouse and I hadn’t spoken much lately. In order to attend the ceremonies, I had to fly back and forth from L. A. the East Coast. “.
“The day Roe v. Wade was decided, I was emotionally spent. Wade was reversed, so I was already exhausted when I heard about his cousin’s wedding in New Jersey. She revealed that although she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, it had been caught early when I eventually got in touch with her that day. “.
“Although I found it painful to learn that my mother had cancer, I found solace in the fact that she was being treated by such a world-class team of doctors. She was a fighter, and I had faith that she would beat cancer. “.
Due to my father’s and my own experiences with cancer, we were familiar with the procedure and knew what to expect. Being inspired by how my mother handled her diagnosis in a cool manner gave me courage. “.
Carrie reflected on how she couldn’t have imagined her mother not being okay before her father passed away. Ellie remembered how horrified she was when she saw a mannequin sporting one of their father’s wigs. Dr. Drossman remembered making plans to tell Katie about her father’s demise.
“I had to tell Katie some bad news, and I wanted to make sure she was prepared for it. I told her I was worried and said it might not be good. Despite being treatable, I said that a plan needs to be created. “.
