Leanne’s Story
Your life can be saved with just one scan.
I know this because I would not be here today if it wasn’t for the timely access to diagnosis and treatment through CT scans that saved my life. I was 38, with a loving husband and young son, working full time as a mental health worker for Interior Health when I felt a lump in my breast. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I was young and healthy. Sure it was nothing. So when I was sent for an urgent mammogram and ultrasound, I wasn’t prepared for the words…
“You have breast cancer.”
It was a gut punch. I couldn’t breathe. Do you cry? Do you scream? What are you supposed to do in that moment? I had no idea. All I knew was I had to fight for my life, not just for me, but for my family. Ready for battle, armed with a highly trained, caring and compassionate VJH healthcare team, I prepared for the fight. I had begun chemotherapy treatments when a routine follow-up CT scan changed my life yet again. They found a tumor on my spine. I was beyond stunned. Cancer had landed my family another hard blow.
“I had begun chemotherapy treatments when a routine follow-up CT scan changed my life yet again. They found a tumor on my spine.”
I had to fight back! Now on two fronts!
Thankfully, my healthcare team was ready. Armed with the information from the CT scans, they altered my treatment and ramped up the fight. This meant more chemotherapy, a full hysterectomy and a bi-lateral mastectomy. Cancer was not going to win!
After almost 2 years, the treatments were working. I was in remission: well enough that I could finally return to the work I love. I could go back to supporting those in our community struggling with mental health, like I was being supported during my fight with cancer.
I was winning...but sometimes things don’t go according to plan…
After 3 weeks back at work, I had a terrible pain in my stomach that was just not going away. I had battled cancer. There was no way I was going to take any chances, I called an ambulance and was rushed to the Emergency Department. I was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Phew: Not cancer! Something simple. Just take it out and I will be fine.
I was rushed into surgery but when the doctors viewed ‘that’ CT scan they saw something suspicious on my right kidney.
It couldn’t be…could it?
More scans…
It was cancer. Again! My third diagnosis in 3 years.
The rollercoaster was back: Do you cry? Do you laugh?
What do you do?
I could not let cancer land the final blow.
The war wasn’t over.
Treatment this time meant surgery to remove my kidney. It was a success. It was now time to claim my life back from cancer, for good! I’ve done that. With regular CT scans every 3 months that monitor my condition. There are so many times that I think, I probably wouldn’t be here today without these
results. I’m sharing my story with you because this experience has taught me what a privilege it is to grow old. Now I can see my son graduate high school, get married, get to know my grandchildren. I’ve been given not only a second chance, but a third and a fourth, due to the early diagnoses that I received.
I want everyone in our community to have timely access to life saving diagnosis and treatment, as I have.
