“I am so glad I had my yearly mammograms and the cancer I battled was caught early”: Kathy’s story

Years into her survivorship, Kathy is keeping her promise of being here for her family.

Hello, my name is Kathy. I've had the honor and privilege of being a mammographer for 32 years. For the last nearly 10 years, I have been employed at the McLaren Macomb Breast Center.

Four years ago, in 2016, I was asked by Pat Keigher to dance at BRAvo's "Dancing With Our Docs" October fundraiser. The money raised goes toward the fight against cancer, right here at McLaren. A breast cancer survivor is paired up with a McLaren Macomb doctor to dance together.

I had been diagnosed in 2009, so at that time, I was seven years out from the initial diagnosis. I was paired up with McLaren Macomb’s Dr. Albert Przybylski. It was an evening I will never forget! It represented so much to me. Hearing my kids, hubby, family, friends and coworkers cheering me on while I danced in front of a thousand people (give or take) was the absolute best! THEY are the reason I fought against this cancer in the first place! It was so much fun dressing up like a boxer, and dancing to Michaels Jackson's song "Beat It," inside of a boxing ring on stage. I think it's safe to say Dr. P had fun too, and so did the audience!

Since 2016, a few things have changed. In 2019, I became board certified in breast ultrasound. I trained in this modality for a couple of years under the guidance and supervision of some remarkable technologists and doctors. I am thankful and beyond blessed to have such an awesome team that I get to work alongside and also to learn from.

My daughter is getting married next year. When I was diagnosed, I promised my family that I would do whatever it took to beat the cancer EXACTLY for milestones in their lives such as these! I cannot wait to see her in her wedding dress, walking down the aisle with her dad and marrying the man of her dreams.

I also have a son who has become a Marine. He graduated from boot camp in November 2017. THAT was a very memorable day in our family's life. The hug I shared with him that day is one I will never forget. He is a third generation Marine. My father-in-law, hubby, and now son have all served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Needless to say, we are very proud of our young man!

I am so glad I had my yearly mammograms, and the cancer I battled was caught early. I look forward to celebrating many more milestones with my precious family!

I am grateful to have a job where I can make a difference in so many ladies’ lives. How many people can say that what they do for a living has the potential to save lives daily? I am thrilled to say that my job DOES have that potential. I have been on the receiving end of its life-saving potential, and now I get to "pay it forward" — screening ladies every day for breast cancer. Do yourself and family a favor: Schedule your yearly mammogram!