Dark Days & Hope: A Survivor’s Story

Catherine Lutz was diagnosed with cancer in her right breast in 2010. She elected to undergo a right mastectomy as well as left mastectomy to prevent any possible spread of breast cancer. She underwent her bilateral mastectomy with DIEP flap on October 18, 2012 at Methodist Hospital.

Here is her story:

The summer of 2010 began like any other summer; registering the kids for summer camps, planning weekend getaways and having fun. Little did I know this would be the summer that changed my life forever!

At 39, I had a routine mammogram and was told another mammogram was needed and when that confirmed suspicious spots on the right breast a needle biopsy was scheduled. I never felt a lump, in fact, there was no lump. It was fine sand like spots that could only been seen microscopically. A needle biopsy was done on my right breast and on August 19, 2010, I received the call – YOU HAVE BREAST CANCER! The immediate devastation took my breath away as the end of my life flashed before my eyes. That’s what I envisioned: my death and leaving my two children Matthew and Alyssa without a mother and my husband Richard without a wife. In the middle of the storm it was my kids and husband that gave me the strength to fight this battle.

After an unsuccessful lumpectomy, I was told the dreaded news, you need to have a mastectomy on the right breast. The thought of removing my breast was devastating! I quickly “googled” everything I could on breast cancer and reconstruction. Given that I lived in a smaller city, Corpus Christi, Texas, I knew I would look elsewhere to have the surgeries performed but was still searching for the BEST doctors. I received several recommendations on a General Surgeon in San Antonio, Texas so the next step was to find a Plastic Surgeon and Oncologist in the same city. I received a phone call from a friend who said her friend worked for an Oncologist in San Antonio and highly recommended a particular plastic surgeon. I took the lead and called the friend and somewhere in the middle of our conversation she asked me, “What type of reconstructive surgery do you plan to have?” Confident of my decision and all the research, I quickly responded with my decision to have implants. She shared that PRMA doctors had done reconstructive surgery on her friend, who had much success with the transfer of natural tissue. I’d never heard of PRMA and I immediately “googled” the group and started to read about TRANS FLAP, DIEP etc and I wanted to find out more about the procedures and the doctors. While I was excited about this new information and made an appointment. I prayed about it and told myself, what harm would it cause to visit PRMA and see what Dr. Pisano had to say?

Until my visit with Dr. Pisano, most doctors suggested I only remove the right breast as the left breast did not show suspicious spots. In fact, a few doctors were disappointed I would even consider removing the left breast “that was perfectly okay. Some of the things I thought were, “Perfectly okay to who?” Could anyone tell me with absolutely certainty the “fine like sand” cancer was not in the left breast?

In September 2010, I visited PRMA and met Dr. Pisano. I can’t recall everything he said but I’ll never forget how he made me feel. He spent a long time talking to me about all my options. He was authentic, genuine and forth coming with my diagnosis, age, and challenged me to think of everything. I needed that, because when you’re told you have CANCER all you think about is living and removing the CANCER. But I’ll never forget his words, “At some point you will care how your breast look” and I want to make sure I give you all the information to help you make your decision. He was very honest about the left breast and the possibility of CANCER reoccurring if kept. He did not treat me like a statistic but a person who was on a quest to find as much information possible so I could make the decision on what to do. At the time, I thought the decision to remove both or only the right breast was the hardest decision, but looking back, it was the easiest and best decision!

So on October 18, 2010, I had bilateral mastectomy and the DIEP initial reconstructive surgery on both breasts at Methodist Hospital. Fortunately, I did not need Chemo or Radiation and was able to proceed with the additional reconstructive surgery. I’m amazed with my breast and thrilled I do not have horrible scars on them that would be a constant reminder I had breast cancer. Yes, I have the tummy tuck scar but that itself does not represent Breast Cancer as scars on breast would.

Yes, I’ve experienced dark, lonely days, and having my breast removed have at times made me feel, unworthy, undesired and incomplete. If you let it CANCER will invade your identity. But even on my worst days I still feel more beautiful with my new breasts and battle wound scar.

I decided not to hide behind this illness and begin to share my story with others. It’s been challenging but I always said, “if I can help one person it’s worth all my tears”. This has been the biggest lesson learned, when I think I’m helping others they’re really helping me. “I refuse to become powerless over breast cancer”!

When death is knocking at your door, your life changes, mine did. Sometimes it takes death to put things into perspective. At the end of the day, it’s still faith, family and friends that matters! My life was saved and now it’s my job to make sure my life is worth saving.

Catherine F. Lutz

Breast Cancer Survivor Deborah Williams Credits Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Breast Center Doctors and Nurses For Her Recovery

Deborah Williams, 60, is celebrating her first year as a breast cancer survivor. “It’s a hard journey, but before you know it, you are on the other side, and life almost gets back to normal,” she said.

Williams credits Deborah Douglas, M.D., director of the Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Breast Center, and Lorraine Infantino, BSN, MSN, RN, certified breast
patient navigator at the center, with guiding her on her journey. The center offers, free of charge, education, support and guidance to patients with breast cancer as they move through diagnosis and treatment to survivorship.

Diagnosed with breast cancer on October 6, 2011, Williams had her breast removed. After the surgery, Dr. Douglas and Infantino came to see her. “Dr. Douglas is a breast cancer survivor herself and her husband, Dr. Tom Fisher, was my oncologist, so we already had a personal connection,” said Williams. “Lorraine and I bonded really quickly and she became a friend that I could confide in and turn to 24/7.”

Williams said that Infantino helped her understand that her three months of chemotherapy would have cumulative effects. “Lorraine and Dr. Douglas got to know me personally, and when the chemotherapy became tough, they knew what buttons to push to keep me going,” she said. Describing herself as outgoing and a fighter, Williams said that “they played on that and kept me on schedule.”

Throughout her treatment she kept working as operations director at Thunderhill Raceway, a stock car race track in Kyle with only a short leave of absence to deal with anemia caused by the chemotherapy. She also plans to help re-open San Antonio Speedway. Both her brother and nephew are stock car racers. “The stock car community is like a second family and they supported me all the way.”

Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Breast Center recently was granted a full accreditation (three year) designation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), a program administered by the American College of Surgeons. Setting the standard for the interdisciplinary management of patients with breast disease, the center is the first hospital-based, NAPBC-accredited breast center in San Antonio. Also, Infantino is the only National Consortium of Breast Centers certified breast patient navigator in San Antonio.