My name is Susan Y. Dorsey. Everyone calls me Syd (my initials). And I was described as "healthy as a horse" until that phone call on September 28, 2007. I had a biopsy earlier that week where the surgeon stated my mass was "more likely cancerous than not." The thing was that I brought that mass to the attention of my gynecologist 18 months earlier. He thought it was "nothing" but ordered a mammogram which came back negative. So when I went back to him 1 ½ years later mentioning the same mass, he still thought it was nothing but this time ordered an ultrasound which led me to the surgeon and the Cancer diagnosis.
And that's when I moved my case to the UVA Breast Cancer Center. After a Fine Needle Aspiration, a Breast MRI, and Mammogram-guided and MRI-guided biopsies, it was determined that I had a Stage 2, ductile, estrogen positive, Her2 negative mass in my right breast - but only in my right breast. A complete mastectomy was in order. A Sentinel Lymph Node biopsy indicated that the cancer had not spread to my nodes. The mastectomy took place November 1, 2007. Four days later I was power walking. I was at JPJ Arena for the Sting concert the day after that. And I haven't looked back. A newly accepted gene test ruled out the need for chemotherapy and there really isn't anything I've been limited in doing. I love to go to the beach, where my friend's kids are amazed I have cleavage! Others have commented on my symmetry.
I am 48 years old. I've lived a charmed life and continue to do so. I've never run more than 3.2 miles but look forward to my first Four-Miler in September. I want to thank my UVA team of doctors: Dr. Jennifer Harvey, Dr. David Brenin, Dr. Kant Lin, and Dr. Christiana Brenin for suggesting new tests, answering challenging questions, and for great senses of humor. It seems as though I'll be just fine.