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WeGotSoccer Breast Cancer Mission : A Story of Hope
Story of Hope
Irene Spellman
WEGOTSOCCER team member since 2007
Irene Spellman
WEGOTSOCCER team member since 2007
Irene Spellman is a 54-year old breast cancer survivor from Plymouth, MA. In November of 2006, Irene went for her yearly routine mammogram. She was called back for more pictures due to something suspicious found on the films. After the second set of pictures were taken, the radiologist still saw something and wanted to do an ultra sound. The ultra sound also showed a mass, so Irene was told she needed to have a biopsy and got very nervous. She had a needle biopsy and got the bad news 4 days before Christmas that she had breast cancer, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. Irene was devastated and fell apart.
When she heard the word “cancer,” Irene automatically thought of death. She chose to have a lumpectomy because the tumor was small, 1.1mm, which was done in February of 2007. There would be a 30% chance Irene would need another surgery if they found anything in the sentinel node. They found .8mm in the sentinel node, so she had to have another surgery in March of 2007. They took out 7 more lymph nodes and they were all free of cancer. Irene underwent 4 chemotherapy treatments and radiation. It was a long year.
Now, Irene feels great! Irene says, “I am very grateful for the American Cancer Society. They were there for me when I had so many questions and they provided the answers 24 hours a day. I am also grateful for my family and friends. They were the best support anyone could ask for. They were always there to listen and keep me upbeat.” Being a 3-year Breast Cancer Survivor, Irene feels it is imperative to stress the importance of self-check breast exams and yearly Mammograms. In October, Irene participates in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk to raise money for research and support services that the American Cancer Society provides. She says, “We need to find a cure to end this devastating disease.”
