At age 46, April Breiten was a systems analyst living a full, rich, active life in Muskogee. She played accordion in a band that entertained seniors in nursing homes. She enjoyed belly-dancing.
In January, her annual mammogram showed tiny calcifications in her breast, and she was soon diagnosed with DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ).
DCIS is cancer that has not spread outside the milk ducts into the breast tissue, Breiten said.
It is considered stage 0 cancer, the lowest stage in a scale of 0 to 4.
Though Breiten's doctor gave her many options, from a lumpectomy with radiation to a mastectomy with reconstruction, she prepared for the possibility of hanging up her sparkly, belly-dancing blouse for life and opted to have both breasts removed.
“Along with a strong family history, I had breasts that were full of cysts and fibroid tissue,” Breiten said.
In addition to a sister who survived breast cancer, Breiten also had another sister who died from colon cancer at age 36 and multiple aunts and uncles with various types of cancer.
However, she also decided to have full reconstruction surgery immediately — an easier decision for her than deciding on double mastectomy.
“I knew that I wanted to feel whole, so reconstruction for me was always my choice,” Breiten said. “I also find it sad that so many women, including myself, feel that we are not whole persons unless we have breasts.”
She didn't, however, make such a life-changing decision on her own.
Breiten had the full support of her family and closest friends, who helped her through two surgeries and are still there for her.
“Though having a double mastectomy for stage 0 cancer seems like overkill, they supported me in wanting peace of mind and understood how I felt,” Breiten said.
She also found the support network incredible for women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
“There are loads of resources available to women. No woman should ever have to feel like they are alone in their fight,” Breiten said.
During her first procedure, both of Breiten's breasts were removed, including 17 lymph nodes. No muscle tissue was removed, and her skin was saved for the reconstruction procedure she chose — DIEP flap breast reconstruction.
For Breiten, this meant that once the mastectomy was complete, the surgeon removed fat and blood vessels from around her waist and transferred them to her breast area, giving her normal size and shape breasts, but no nipples.
Extra skin was transferred from her stomach to fashion new nipples at a later procedure.
Three months later, Breiten underwent a second plastic surgery procedure to correct any problems and fashion nipples out of the transplanted stomach skin.
Though recovery was sometimes difficult, requiring her to walk bent at the waist and sleep at an angle for weeks, Breiten maintains a much needed sense of humor.
“I have had excellent results. The scars are extensive, but I am cancer-free and whole,” Breiten said. “I joke that if you saw me naked from the front that it would look like I was a big smiley face with sunglasses on.”
Today Breiten still faces another procedure before her ordeal is concluded.
Her third and final procedure will be done in the doctor's office where new nipples will be tattooed to provide a more realistic look.
After 10 hours on the table for her first procedure, six weeks recovery time, another surgery with two weeks recovery time, and more to face, Breiten can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“Needless to say, you have to be dedicated to your health to go through this type of surgery. I couldn't have done it without the help of Ann, my generous sister and Kelley, my devoted girlfriend,” Breiten said.
Now that she's had a double mastectomy, doctors tell her she has a less than 1 percent chance of developing breast cancer in the future.
There can never be an absolute zero chance, because it's not possible to remove all breast tissue, though surgeons attempt to get it all, Breiten said.
Despite her active life being disrupted by a devastating disease, surgeries and recovery, Breiten wouldn't change the past.
“I have met many great, supportive persons along my journey and learned a lot about myself and others,” Breiten said. “I've had experiences that now I wouldn't trade. My body will never be exactly like it was before, but indeed, I feel truly blessed.”