A teacher, a pharmacist, a public health advocate and a diabetes care and education specialist, Mandy Reece, PharmD, is adding one more title to her resume. Recently diagnosed with breast cancer, Reece has become even more adamant about advocating for yearly mammograms for adult women.
Dr. Reece believes she has choices because her breast cancer was discovered early.
A lumpectomy with radiation or a mastectomy with or without reconstruction. These are decisions she weighed carefully with her healthcare team.
A faculty member in the School of Pharmacy at PCOM Georgia, Dr. Reece said, “With my medical background, I am fortunate that I have the knowledge and skills to know how to properly research. I have access to scientific journals and databases to determine my prognosis. I can review the standard treatments based on the diagnosis, as well as appropriate medications. And most of all, I can understand the physiology and pathophysiology and what I’m reading in medical textbooks.”
She calls her breast cancer diagnosis “my little miracle.”
“It’s nothing short of a miracle,” she said.
A 1.5-centimeter tumor was found in Dr. Reece’s breast in late August.
“It was not there last year,” she said.
At age 47, Dr. Reece has been getting screening mammograms for seven years. Five of the seven times, she received a letter from the radiologist asking her to come back for a diagnostic mammogram.
“The situation becomes very frustrating,” she said. “It’s uncomfortable and very emotional.”
This year, she noted, her experience was different. The technologist took extra time to make sure she had all the images needed and even consulted with the radiologist.
“By the time I walked out of the building, I received a message in MyChart asking me to schedule a needle biopsy.”
Dr. Reece explained that when she returned for the second procedure, “The radiologist explained the process and said that nine of ten women have negative…
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