Tag Archives: Breast Cancer Awareness

Early detection through routine mammograms dramatically improves your chances of survival. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is detected early and is localized to the breast, the 5-year relative survival rate is 99%!

Janis Thompson found this to be true in her own experience. Diagnosed in 2021, within months Janis received chemotherapy and underwent a mastectomy of her right breast. Today, she is a breast cancer survivor — totally cancer-free!

We recently sat down with Janis to hear her story of diagnosis and treatment, as well as her advice for other women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

When were you diagnosed, and what was your prognosis at the time?

They found something in my right breast in January or February of 2021, and I started chemo in April of 2021. I had my surgery (a mastectomy to remove my right breast) in July — I remember that because it was right after my granddaughter got married.

Luckily, my cancer was localized. When they did surgery, they didn’t find anything in my lymph nodes or anywhere else, so that was good.

How was your breast cancer detected? 

I have a mammogram every year. I came over here to Stanley to have it done, and they saw something, so they sent me to Bismarck for treatment. Before the diagnosis, I didn’t have any symptoms, and the only history of cancer in my family was prostate cancer in my dad and brother.

How old were you when you started getting regular mammograms? 

I don’t remember exactly, but I was pretty young. 

In 1970, when I was 28, they found something in my left breast. I was three months’ pregnant with my son at the time, and the doctor told me that when I went in for surgery, if they found cancer, they were going to have to take both of my breasts and my baby. So it really scared me.  But, thankfully, everything turned out to be fine. 

After that, I had to go to the doctor a lot because they would find these little cysts that they would take out with a syringe. What they removed was always coffee-colored, so they told me it was nothing to worry about.

Where did you receive your treatments? 

I was in California at the time of my first surgery in 1970. I moved back home to North Dakota in 1972, so my treatments after that were done here. My surgery and chemo treatments were done at Sanford in Bismarck, and I received my other care at MCHC in Stanley. 

What was your experience like there? 

It was wonderful, he was a great doctor (Dr. Bennett at MCHC). This is crazy, but I felt so close to him — he knew everything about my breasts!

When I was diagnosed in 2021, I had chemo first, and I was kind of sick from it. I gained weight because I didn’t feel well and couldn’t do as much as I usually would. 

The type of cancer I had was called spindle cell neoplasm. My oncologist (Thandiwe Gray, M.D.) told me there were five of us who had the same kind of cancer at the same time, and we had the same chemo (which was different from other kinds of chemo). 

My chemo was from April to July of 2021, and my surgery was in July of 2021. By December, I was starting to feel like myself again. I went in for a lung biopsy between my surgery and then, because they thought I had lung cancer (but it turned out to be nothing). When we went in for the diagnosis, I cried because I was so happy! 

Now, I’m following up with yearly mammograms. 

Any advice you’d share with other women going through breast cancer treatment right now?

Have a support system, that’s the main thing. My husband was so good! My daughter and granddaughter did a lot for us too. They came over and did things for us. My granddaughter brought us groceries, and they both came and cleaned the house. At the time I was scared I’d go out and get COVID too, you know, so the only place we went was to the clinic in Bismarck. 

I had company at that time, and they didn’t want to get me sick, because you’re so susceptible to disease. So when people came to visit us, they’d visit in the garage or outside when it was warmer. It was hard. 

Even now, you have to stay away from people for a while after chemo, because of all the stuff you could get. Don’t think you can run around as much as you did before! You have to take care of yourself.

After a while, though, you have to get out and do stuff — don’t let yourself get stuck inside for too long! I was stuck inside for a year or more, scared to go out. I started back volunteering at the nursing home a couple of months ago now. I worked there for years. Now I go on Friday nights and dance with them. 

I’m doing great now. Well, I have other things — I have to have knee surgery in June, and I had my right shoulder done about 5 months ago…all kinds of operations! The scariest one was the breast cancer, though, it really was.

Another thing that helped me get through my treatment was that I read from my Bible and from the Jesus Calling devotional (by Sarah Young) every day — it’s something I always do and have done, but I wouldn’t have been able to get through it all without my Jesus.

Early Detection Could Save Your Life. Schedule Your Mammogram Today!

Thank you, Janis, for sharing your story with us! And congratulations on being cancer-free!

Take a page out of this breast cancer survivor’s book, and make sure to get routine mammograms — even if you don’t have a family history of cancer. Mammograms are quick, easy, and one of the best things you can do to take charge of your health and invest in your future.

Contact us today to set up your yearly mammogram at MCHC!