Vista Leads One Breast Cancer Survivor's Journey to Health
One in eight women will be treated for breast cancer during their lifetime. With early detection and proper treatment, however, women today stand an excellent chance to fight and defeat this disease. During National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, Vista Health System proudly salutes the many women who are succeeding.
One such woman is Angela Ramirez, 38, a wife and mother of five from Waukegan. With no history of breast cancer in her family, she never thought she would be a breast cancer statistic. Then one day last May, Ramirez went for a mammogram and received the bad news. Her life changed in an instant as she soon embarked on months of treatment along with a double mastectomy. Today, thanks to the Breast Cancer Team at Vista Health System, she's on the road to recovery with a new outlook on life.
Her journey with breast cancer began when she attended her 20-year high school class reunion in 2010. She looked forward to seeing her friends from high school, especially Pam. They'd been very close in high school but had lost touch with each other since. Pam, however, wasn't at the reunion because she'd died of breast cancer. Ramirez was shocked, sad and somewhat confused. Breast cancer, she thought, only happened to older people.
While breast cancer had killed her high school classmate, Ramirez reminded herself that no one in her family had ever been diagnosed with the disease; not her mother nor any of her four sisters. Thinking that monthly self-breast exams weren't necessary for women under 40, she only did one after months of procrastination. Then she felt a lump in her left breast.
Ramirez went to the Vista Surgery Center in Lindenhurst (1050 Red Oak Lane) for a mammogram, which revealed a mass in her left breast that led to a diagnosis of cancer. As with every breast cancer patient at Vista, Ramirez was immediately assigned to a Breast Nurse Navigator, Susan Richter, RN. Ramirez is especially grateful to Richter for staying with her and holding her hand through the entire process.
“I would not have gotten past the initial shock of having breast cancer if Susan had not been there for me,” Ramirez said. “I can't say enough about the quality of care I received at Vista and the support I received every day from Susan. She encouraged me, talked to me, made appointments for me. Susan explained everything, every step of the way. I did not make a move without Susan,” said Ramirez.
Her husband, Randy, even referred to Richter as Angela's “GPS” (Global Positioning System) for the way she was able to steer his wife through the maze of testing, pre-op and post-op care, rehabilitation, insurance referrals and her advised course of care for breast cancer.
Although, no cancer was found in Ramirez's right breast, she had a bilateral mastectomy. This is the removal of both breasts to prevent or reduce the risk of cancer developing in the non-cancerous breast. Her surgery was performed at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan by Dr. Aaron Siegel. Studies from the National Cancer Institute suggest that preventive mastectomies may significantly reduce the chance of developing breast cancer in moderate- and high-risk women.
Today, more than five months after diagnosis, Ramirez is healthy and happy with a great outlook for her future. She's undergoing chemotherapy as a preventive measure advised by her medical oncologist, Dr. Nilesh Mehta. Ramirez's advice to women is simple – perform your monthly breast self-exams and get a yearly mammogram. “Don't wait, because you could be the next one in eight,” she said.
Vista's is one of the first hospitals in the northern suburbs to provide a dedicated Breast Nurse Navigator to work closely with every breast cancer patient. The Breast Nurse Navigator expedites testing and results while serving as the contact with Vista's multi-disciplinary Breast Cancer Team. If test results indicate breast cancer, the Breast Cancer Team supports patients and their families from the moment of diagnosis through treatment and survivorship.
The American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms for women beginning at age 40. To schedule a mammogram, call Vista Health System at 847-360-4148, or visit www.VistaHealth/cancer for additional information. Vista offers same-day mammogram appointments with same-day results.