(photo DA)
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Faye Johnson, Nutrition and Food Services
(photo DA) |
A little over four years ago, Johnson went for her annual health check-up. On examination, a cancerous growth was detected in her breast.
"The shock was beyond anything. I never truly expected anything to be wrong. There had never been any cancer in my family. It was the furthest thing from my mind," said Johnson.
Had she chosen not to take advantage of her insurance coverage, the cancer, which was deep and too small to be felt, would not have been diagnosed, she now believes, until much later. Mammography, followed by ultrasound, was needed.
"I want people to understand the importance of annual exams." said Johnson. "If it weren't for early detection, I would not have been a stage one, the least serious of four stages. I went in to have that mammogram, and I groused while they were doing it. Then I had to go back for ultrasound and I groused over that. I remember being crabby, and thinking, Why am I doing this? Then, the radiologist came in to view the ultrasound and said `um-hum, um-hum....' There it was! He pretty much said right from the beginning that it had the characteristics of cancer. Then I had to go for the biopsy, and I even groused over that." That was on a Friday, and on Monday, Johnson called the radiologist, who told her to talk to her primary care physician. "I didn't have an appointment, but they got me right in to Dr. Dwayne Caviness who said, `I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is it's cancer; the good news is it's small.'"
Johnson chose aggressive treatment: a mastectomy including lymph nodes, followed by chemotherapy. A year later, she had prophylactic surgery to eliminate the risk of recurrence in her other breast. She was willing to take control of her treatment. She said, "I feel very good about the competence of the doctors and my course of action."
Her husband and two daughters were supportive. One daughter delayed entering nursing school: "She gave up a year of her life to stay home and help me in whatever way she could. I had eight months of chemo. I never lost my hair. I was never sick. I didn't have the really hard chemo. I had good insurance, and I was given good medicine. Other than being tired, the fatigue, and a metallic taste in my mouth, I really did get through the chemo quite well. It was very scary, very scary."
Johnson credits the support of her dean, Roger J. Lederer, and chair, Michael A. Abruzzo, who allowed her to work half-time during her treatment, with one of the lessons from her encounter with cancer. "I guess I'd always thought that a university is too big to care about an individual. They did care about me. I couldn't improve on a thing they did for me. It was a wonderful experience in that respect. That was an eye opener for me."
Johnson's message to women on campus is: "Get that annual exam, get those mammograms, do the self-exam. I know it's hard when you're healthy, and feeling good, and life is rolling along. Mammograms are no fun. Don't think, `it won't happen to me.' Realize it can happen to you. The sooner you catch it, the better for you."
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