A routine self-exam leads to life-saving treatment for mother of two
Michelle Docherty found a lump in her breast during a self-exam. How could this be? Almost a year ago, Michelle’s mammogram was clear.
Things progressed quickly for the 47-year-old mother of two from Lake Orion.
Michelle called her OB/GYN on a Friday and saw her physician on Monday morning. A mammogram and biopsy occurred within days. On her kids’ first day of school, she got the call – breast cancer.
“My doctor told me it was curable,” Michelle recalled. “She said to remember that, even though I would be going through a lot of scary things. It was jarring to say the least. Right away I thought of both of my kids. I didn’t want to do anything that would distract them from school. I was also thinking of my husband. My life. I wanted to be here.”
“I just had an overall feeling that I was in fantastic hands.”
The day after her diagnosis, Michelle and her husband met with Amy Kirby, MD, surgeon. Michelle was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, stage 2.
“As we were going over my plan, it felt like an out-of-body experience,” recalled Michelle. “I remember thinking I know that she’s talking to me, it just didn’t feel like I was there. I remember at one point in the conversation she told me that the plan was to get me to 95 years old. Something else will take me, not this cancer. I said, ‘I like that. I’ll do whatever I have to do.’”
After that day, Michelle felt like she was living in the “land of appointments.” Thankfully, her husband was able to manage them for her. Her care was guided by Sarah Riaz, MD, an oncologist at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland. Michelle had 16 treatments of chemotherapy over a 20-week period, surgery, and finally six weeks of radiation treatments to burn out any remaining cancer cells.
Her new diagnosis: no remaining cancer.
“I just had an overall feeling that I was in fantastic hands,” Michelle said.
“My physicians, Dr. Riaz and Dr. Kirby, were warm and caring. These are very knowledgeable women and I knew I was in capable hands. I knew if I did everything they told me to do, I would be okay. They were very patient with me and answered all of my questions.
“They played such a crucial role in giving me my life back. I could tell I mattered to them.”
On Michelle’s last day of radiation treatment, her radiation therapist gave her a blue rubber bracelet with the encryption, strength. Her son wears it every day. He says it’s his most prized possession.
“Thank you doesn’t seem like enough,” Michelle said. “I almost see my breast cancer as an unexpected blessing. So many amazing people became a part of my life. My gratefulness far outweighs the bad experiences. Sometimes the road to getting better isn’t very pretty, but I’m going to be okay. It was important for my kids to see that sometimes life is really hard but you can always face it and get through it.”
Since Michelle’s treatments ended, she has started making more time for herself. She pays closer attention to her health and she believes she has a better outlook on life.
If you would like to learn more about St. Joseph Mercy Oakland’s cancer programs, call 1-877-712-HOPE or visit stjoeshealth.org.
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“I was scared and feared the worst,” recalled Tanya. “All of that fear and uncertainty melted away when I met Dr. Narayan. I felt an immediate connection with him. With a smile that is so genuine it reaches his eyes, it’s hard not to feel comfortable with him.”
Two years later, Kellie is in remission. She’s an advocate for mammograms – telling all her friends to choose the 3D mammography at St. Joe’s Chelsea so even the tiniest cancer located in a hidden spot can be detected early.
“I was in far worse pain from my broken ribs than I was from the lung surgery,” exclaimed Mary Kay. “A few days after surgery, I went refrigerator shopping and washed our kitchen floor. I can still do everything I want.”
Carolyn underwent a double mastectomy. It revealed that the cancer spread to a couple of lymph nodes, supporting a stage 2B diagnosis. Carolyn recently completed chemotherapy, and now faces a six-week round of radiation therapy.
When she shared her desire to forego chemotherapy treatment and have a mastectomy instead, Judie Goodman, MD, a hematologist-oncologist at St. Joe’s didn’t try to dissuade her – she listened and provided options.
Doctors chose to start Arlene on six months of chemotherapy to tackle the cancer as soon as possible. She had a month to recuperate before she had a double mastectomy. Three months of radiation rounded out the treatment.