After a routine mammogram, Jenn was sent in quick succession for an ultrasound and biopsy. When she received her cancer diagnosis over text message, Jenn knew she wanted a second opinion from UT Medical Center.
She called Dr. Rocio Huet her primary care physician and Director of the Center for Integrative Health at UT Medical Center. Jenn has seen Dr. Huet since 2014 after suffering from a five-year battle with fluoroquinolone toxicity syndrome, a rare reaction to a particular class of antibiotics that can cause serious damage to the central nervous system.
“Dr. Huet is a miracle worker,” Jenn said. After years of other doctors dismissing her very real symptoms, “she believed me,” she said. “She started treating me holistically and saved my life.”
In addition, Jenn shared that she chose UT Medical Center specifically because it's an academic medical center. For her, this distinction was key in deciding where to seek treatment, as she valued the advanced research, expertise, and resources available. “They’re more open-minded and more curious,” she said. “The treatment I had, their bedside manner, the whole experience was night and day versus what I’d experienced before.”
Dr. Huet scheduled Jenn for an appointment that same day with Dr. Jillian Lloyd, at University Surgical Oncology. “Dr. Lloyd was fantastic,” Jenn said. “She looked at my report and explained to me what breast cancer is, the different types, and what kind I had.” Jenn learned that she had a Stage 1, slow-growing tumor, and she and Dr. Lloyd discussed possible treatment plans.
“I felt such a sense of relief when I left her office,” Jenn said. “I knew our plan.” She and her husband took a previously-planned trip to the beach with family. “The team at UT Medical Center was always accessible to me during that time,” she said. “The case manager assigned to me was my lifeline to walk me through the whole process.”
Three days after returning home, Jenn had a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous tumor. Due to its size and location, Dr. Lloyd told Jenn that she likely never would have discovered it from a self-exam. “If there's one thing I can stress,” Jenn said, “it’s the importance of 3D mammograms. Because I have dense breast tissue, my tumor would not have been detected on a standard test.”
A month after the surgery, Jenn began a four-week-long radiation treatment. “All things considered, it was a great experience,” she said. “My entire team - Dr. Lloyd, Dr. Christine Lauro, Dr. Susan Newman, surgery, oncology, radiation therapists – everybody from valet parking to registration, everybody at UT Medical Center, was top-notch.”
Once she was declared cancer-free, Jenn chose not to ring the well-known cancer survivor’s bell. “I’ve had multiple friends who’ve had extreme cancer,” she said. “Compared to what they had to go through, mine was a piece of cake.”
Now “a young 58,” Jenn reports that she feels better now than she has in more than a decade. “I have an amazing life and an amazing and beautiful husband,” she said. “I’m always up for a new challenge and new adventure.” Finally, and especially noteworthy for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Jenn wants to remind all women, “Please, please get your mammograms! Stop complaining, it’s 15 minutes.”