In the fall of 2014, after having a mammogram, I was called back for a more extensive evaluation. During the course of the next few months, I had more mammograms than I could count, an MRI, and two separate biopsies. The results were atypical dysplasia, a precursor to breast cancer. The treatment was lumpectomy. Because I had two separate lesions, I had two separate lumpectomies. One lesion was ductal atypical dysplasia, another lesion was globular atypical dysplasia. I had always thought that I was reasonably healthy. I ran my first marathon at the age of 40 and continued to train to run two more marathons over the course of the next 3 years. I was in training for the Dublin marathon when I received the diagnosis, at the age of 45.
Two weeks following my surgery, I had an appointment for a post-surgical follow-up. At this appointment, I was told that having atypical dysplasia increases my risk of breast cancer by 50%. In addition, I was told that because I had two lesions that were of a different type, my chances were increased two-fold. My doctor’s statement—“You can do the math”.
Well, I did the math, and decided that I am determined to not be a statistic in the world of cancer. I was given the blessing of advanced warning, and I heeded it and set out on a journey to discover what exactly is health and how does it apply to my life? And then I had to ask myself the question…as a dentist, how can I apply what I am discovering to help my patients in their own health? And two years later, we have…Origin Dental Wellness.