CARLYLE — Most of us don't think of breast cancer as something that might affect our lives, especially when we are young and feel healthy. When such a diagnosis comes, it feels like a bomb that quietly explodes, changing everything in life.
That's how it was for Carlyle's Lorrissa Stigings, the mother of two teenage girls, a wife and a 43-year-old woman in the prime of her life.
Her diagnosis came out of a general check-up which, on its own, was unalarming.
"I just went for my annual physical in November [2021], and my doctor said, 'I know you're only 43, but we should probably do a mammogram,'" Stigings shared.
"I share the same doctor with my mom, and my mom [Avis Bell] has breast cancer. She was first diagnosed when she was 68. She had a single mastectomy and chemo treatments. And then after that, she was on an estrogen inhibitor for five years. She went off, better five years. In year six, she was diagnosed with breast cancer again, and double lung cancer. That was three years ago. She's still taking treatments, and she's still doing really good."
Since there were no alarms or physical concerns, Stigings didn't get worried at that point and was scheduled for a mammogram. Even though it was recommended by a doctor, it took over four months to get in, and since she was under 50 years of age, she had to get it done in Regina.
"I went for my mammogram in March of 2022. And I knew that night. I read the report on eHealth. And I knew," Stigings shared. "There were suspicious findings.
"I went back at the end of March for a biopsy. The biopsy came back within a week, I believe, and confirmed ductal carcinoma in situ [the presence of abnormal cells inside a milk duct in the breast]. That's the most common kind of breast cancer, so that means that it hasn't spread outside of the mammary ducting. It starts by microcalcifications. So that was good. They got me all scheduled for surgery."
Even though she said she knew that cancer was running in her family, the news hit her hard.
"My dad passed away of prostate cancer in 2008. And then my mom got hers. And she was 68, nine years ago. So, I always knew I was going to get cancer. I always knew it. And as much as you say that, you're just never prepared for somebody to say you have cancer," Stingings said with emotion.
"That was the hard part. But then I started thinking about my teenage daughters, what does that leave them? … Now I've given that history to my kids. That's the hardest part.
"As soon as you get told you have a cancer diagnosis, everything just stops. The world continues on, but your world stops because you don't know how this is going to turn out for you. It's hard. It's very hard."
The surgery took place in May, but the news that came back was even more nerve-wracking.
"My pathology came back saying that there was a spot behind that first spot, and it was invasive. And they cut right through it," Stigings paused.
"I was terrified. I didn't know what was going to happen but I had to go back."
They had to take another scoop in June, but the results still came back positive for ductal carcinoma. In August, she went in again for the third attempt to beat cancer.
"Finally, it was clear. And then we started radiation in October. We had it for 16 days, back to back to back. We only had weekends off. We were done on November 4. And then I had a hysterectomy in April of 2023 to eliminate the chances of any further cancers," Stigings said.
She hasn't been released from the Alan Blair Cancer Centre, as she still needs one more MRI, scheduled for October.
"After that, they'll hopefully kick me out of the program," Stigings said.
Regular physicals were a part of her routine, even though she didn't have any concerns, and that, she believes, made a big difference.
"I had no lumps, but I did my physicals every year. But because ductal carcinoma is so small, you don't feel lumps. So, I don't know how long I had it. Obviously long enough for it to turn into invasive. But you are not supposed to go for mammograms until the age of 50. Who knows where I would have been at the age of 50," Stigings said.
The fight with her breast cancer was tough on all fronts. She didn't make her story public until she was getting ready for her first surgery in May 2022 when she shared it on social media.
"I didn't make that post and I didn't tell anybody until I'm laying there ready to go, and I'm thinking, 'If one person reads this, and they go and ask to have a mammogram done, whether it'll come back good, bad or otherwise, I need to do this," she recalled.
"I have now had three of my good friends go and get checked out just because of my situation. They had no lumps, no bumps, no warning signs, no nothing. Just like it was for me."
Stigings said this experience changed a lot in the sense of her understanding of her mother's experiences and just in general.
"It is very life changing … I sat and watched my mom, but it didn't really click in until I was sitting there going through it. And it's like, 'That's what she meant, okay,'" Stigings shared. "So, trying to have a conversation with my friends about it, they don't get it. They don't understand."
Stigings said creating a support circle is crucial for winning this battle. She was diagnosed in April 2022, and three other women in the Carlyle area received similar diagnoses right after.
"Now we have a support group together. There's a bunch of us who get together and just chit-chat and support each other. Other people can't do that. And we have a real connection, I guess we've become friends over all of this," Stigings said.
Breast cancer is considered to be running in the family history if it affects more than one generation, so for Stigings' daughters it will be a factor.
"I talked to the doctor about how soon my kids should be getting checked out. And they should be getting checked out 10 years before I was diagnosed, so they should be getting tested, or checked out at 34," Stigings said, noting that being a part of breast cancer groups, she notices a lot of younger women being diagnosed with the disease.
With her life-changing experience, Stigings now encourages women of different ages to ensure they keep a close eye on their health and get mammograms done.
"Go get the mammogram. Be persistent with your doctors, even though you might be under 40 or under 50. It doesn't matter. Just go get a baseline because you really never know when it's going to pop up," Stigings said.
She also noted that when she made her story public, some people changed around her and tried avoiding her, which is something that society needs to overcome.
"I think it's about cancer in general. People get that awkward feeling that they don't know what to say, so they just ignore you. It's like, you sit back, and the world is spinning and yours isn't. You're sitting there in your little circle, and you're looking around trying to find your leaning posts."
She added that the cancer survivors were a big help through her journey, but her husband was also her leaning post throughout this time.
"My husband Randy has been my rock and my absolute everything. Without him by my side, I would not have made it through this diagnosis as well as I did," Stigings said.
The Breast Cancer Society (BCS) says breast cancer is the second-most common cancer in Canada and is the number one cancer in women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers). It is estimated that about one in eight Canadian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime and one in 34 will die from it. Breast cancer can also occur in men, but it is not as common.
The BCS statistic shows that every year, an estimated 27,900 Canadians are diagnosed with breast cancer and thousands more are living with the disease.
Screening helps find breast cancer before symptoms develop. All provinces and territories have breast cancer screening through an organized screening program or your health-care provider.
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
