How a Routine Mammogram Saved a Life

One morning seven years ago, Angela Lane considered canceling her annual mammogram at the Ann L. Baroco Center for Breast Health and Mammography at Ascension Sacred Heart.

“I didn’t think I could fit the appointment into my morning,” said Lane, 49, a loan officer at Southeast Mortgage. “I had a mammogram the previous year, and everything was fine, so I thought about skipping it this one time."

"I had many reasons not to go, but I went anyway. I’m thankful that I did because that mammogram saved my life.”

The day after her appointment, a radiologist called Lane to discuss suspicious findings and asked her to come in for further workup.

“I was stunned, but I felt God was going to use my diagnosis to help others.”

An ultrasound and breast MRI detected four tumors. After a biopsy confirmed stage 3 breast cancer, Lane opted for a double mastectomy two weeks later. She said she took a more aggressive approach to “fight this once” and hopefully be done with it.

In hindsight, Lane said she recognized the “God winks” that led her to make the right decision that fateful morning.

As a community advocate for breast cancer awareness and screenings even before her diagnosis, she knew she had to “walk the walk and talk the talk.”

“As mothers, we put the needs of our families first, but we can’t be there for them unless we make our health a priority.”

Angela is grateful for the care she received from doctors, nurses, and her medical oncologist, Dr. James Watkins at Ascension Sacred Heart Cancer Center.

“I could go on all day about how incredible Ascension Sacred Heart was to my family and me through treatment and seven surgeries in four years,” she said. “I truly wish I had a record of all the people who made a difference!”

Now, in addition to being a breast cancer patient and advocate, she is a breast cancer survivor.

Please show your support for survivors, like Angela, by making a meaningful donation today for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.