How a Screening Mammogram Saved Her Life Twice

The moral of this story: always, always get your mammogram. In 2019, Connie McCalmont went in for her annual mammogram and was given the news most of us dread. There was a mass, and she needed a biopsy. This visit took place at a facility out of town, but Connie turned to Island Health for her surgery, which started with lumpectomy. And while the journey of radiation treatments was unpleasant, it was worth it.

The news was good, practically boring, after that. A six-month check-up, followed by annual check-ups, all clear, led her to a much-anticipated celebratory five-year exam. It was then, almost five years to the day of her first diagnosis, that Connie was told the Diagnostic Imaging department wanted her to come back for a second mammogram. Better safe than sorry, she thought. But when an ultrasound was ordered the same day, Connie knew something was wrong.

The biopsy showed three tiny new spots. The good news is that they were new and had not been there long.

Because bilateral cancer (same cancer, opposite breast) is quite rare, Connie’s oncologist ordered genetic testing that confirmed she carried the HER2 positive gene mutation. This time, the course of treatment would be more aggressive and extensive.

Dr. Mark Donovan with Island General Surgery & Gastroenterology performed surgery to remove the cancerous spots along with two lymph nodes. At that time, they also put in a port for Connie’s chemotherapy. Several rounds of chemo were followed by a regimen of radiation—five days a week for three weeks. This was when Team Pink was born. Connie and her husband, Steve, who never missed an appointment, wore pink to every treatment visit, passing out breast cancer bracelets to staff and patients, each time.

“We made it a good time, and we tried to spread the positive energy,” Connie said.

An intense and challenging round of immunotherapy followed radiation. This was the most difficult of all, Connie said.

Now, almost six months after her second bout with breast cancer, Connie is determined to live a good life. She says it’s comforting to share her experience and offer hope to others facing cancer battles. Most of all, she is grateful to the mammography team at Island Health, in particular Mammography Technologist Jessica Shriver, RT(R)(M)(ARRT).

“She (Shriver) was amazing,” Connie said. “The entire team at Island Health is amazing—they’re the best, and I love the capes!”

Shriver loves making connections with her patients, putting them at ease and empowering them.

“Mammograms are so important. A few minutes of discomfort can be lifesaving,” Shriver said.

Connie will go for her six-month check-up soon, and she looks forward to living her life fully and happily.

A screening mammogram found Connie’s cancer not once, but twice. Schedule yours today—it could save your life. Call 360.299.1315 or visit the islandhealth.org/portal.

Island General Surgery & Gastroenterology offers a wide range of services, including breast surgery for patients facing cancer diagnoses.