Last week, Katie’s touching letter, in which she disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis, was made public. A mammography that had been postponed until the summer of 2022 eventually took place, and the results revealed a little tumor the size of an olive.
Because of her early diagnosis, Katie was able to immediately undergo a lumpectomy and radiation therapy. Katie, a steadfast supporter of cancer education and research, is now moved to share her experience.
She is committing October to Breast Cancer Awareness Month in order to provide details about her diagnosis, care, and overall experience.
Katie stresses the significance of appropriate cancer tests in this incredibly personal episode of her podcast Next Question. Additionally, she implores listeners to schedule frequent health appointments.
The increased risk for patients with dense breasts is another point made by Katie. Approximately 50% of American women have dense breasts, which can reduce the likelihood that abnormalities will be picked up by mammography.
With her medical team, Katie keeps lines of communication open. To discuss the procedures for diagnosis and therapy, she meets with the surgical breast oncologist and chief of breast surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Interventional breast radiologists Susan Drossman, MD, and Lisa Newman, MD, practice.
In order to give readers a genuine glimpse into her experience, Katie also shares the unedited recordings she made while receiving treatment.
In this episode, Ellie and Carrie Monahan, Katie’s two daughters, share personal accounts of their emotional responses to their mother’s sickness. Katie also discusses the effort to change Ohio’s breast cancer screening standards with breast cancer survivor Michele Young.
You can read the highlights from the conversations below or listen to the entire podcast.
She messages and calls me frequently. She used to find me to be quite unresponsive, especially while I was in college. But these days, she does often call or FaceTime without warning. We talk frequently throughout the day.
I had missed a call when I got up in the morning.
She acts in this way quite often. It can be for a trivial reason that has nothing to do with the subject at all. I recall that I had just woken up. She gave me a FaceTime call. I was terrified. She gave me her assurances that everything was alright. I believe she did it to introduce it.”
“Mammography had produced significant results. When I discovered I had cancer, I was distraught.
“I was concerned. However, I think she immediately understood that she had access to excellent medical professionals, that it was early, and that she would probably be okay.”
“She told me that because of the date of the treatment, a trip she and I had planned would be scrapped. She said, ‘Don’t tell Ellie because I’ll tell her.’”
Ellie Monahan struggled with her mother’s assessment that she was somewhat different from Carrie in the midst of a busy summer. “I’ve always had anxiety, and my mother and I talk all the time.”
“I’ve just recently developed the ability to let go. We still speak frequently, and she was always on my speed dial. It used to occur frequently, but now it only occurs occasionally. Since I’m married and 31 years old, I’m okay with that.”
“Since I had three weddings and needed to travel back and forth from L.A., where I live, to the East coast, where these weddings were, we hadn’t spoken much. I flew overnight to New Jersey to attend the wedding of my husband’s cousin. I had already experienced emotional exhaustion on the day Roe v. Wade was reversed.”
“I finally contacted her on that day. She told me that she had received an early diagnosis of breast cancer.”
“There were a few trigger words used. The word “radiation” was hard to hear. Even the thought of chemotherapy and my mother losing her hair made me nervous.”
“In 1997, our father Jay Monahan received a stage four cancer diagnosis. The knowledge that my mother’s condition had significantly worsened was comforting. Because of her involvement with Stand Up to Cancer and the cancer community, our mother is incredibly strong and has fantastic medical contacts.”
“I knew she had excellent doctors and that more details would be given as soon as they were available. She handled it so coolly. After the shock of hearing the C word, that was a big source of comfort. She seemed to be keeping an eye on us, which was really considerate of her at the time. That is a very maternal action.”
“I think my mind was unable to consider the possibility that she might not be fine. After our father passed away, I was unable to go there. I had no idea where I was.
Carrie talks about losing her father.
“I can’t recall it. I think it made the situation even worse for her. Recently, Ellie related to me her harrowing experience of seeing a mannequin head wearing one of our father’s wigs.”
“How am I going to tell Katie this, ‘Oh my Goodness,’” Dr. Drossman recalled thinking to himself.
“When I have to break bad news to someone, I usually I find it difficult every time.”
“Whenever I have a worry, I contact ahead of time to let folks know that the news might not be positive. I make an effort to avoid surprising them.”
“I think I said it was a small amount of breast cancer. It is completely treatable, but we require a strategy.”
