New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
It all started with a stretch.
Late one night, Danielle DeLibro awoke from her sleep, twisted and raised her arms, and that’s when she felt it — the lump that changed the course of her life.
“They tell you to examine yourself, but you also have to move around and get into twisted positions, because that’s how I found mine,” DeLibro said. “In the middle of the night, I happened to stretch, and there was this tumor, but it was in a really odd place, right below my underarm.”
The 47-year-old mother of two went to see her doctor. And the doctor couldn’t find it at first.
“I had to point it out to her. She thought it was a lymph node, but we checked anyway,” DeLibro said.
She had a mammogram, then a biopsy. It all happened very quickly. She found the lump in February and had surgery just three weeks later.
“As soon as I found it, I knew,” she said. “It was hard, like a pea, like a rock. So, I went into this knowing — at least in my gut. When I went for the mammogram and ultrasound, I’m good at reading faces, and I just knew. And when the doctor walked in and said I needed a biopsy, I knew.”
DeLibro was diagnosed with breast cancer, stage 1b. She saw Dr. Valerie Brutus, a surgical oncologist at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, who performed a partial mastectomy in an out-patient procedure that took just over two hours.
“The partial procedure saves the breast,” Brutus said. “The breasts look exactly the same, same shape and size. Everything was so small, and we were able to hide the incision.”
DeLibro was glad she chose St. Vincent’s.
“They were amazing from start to finish, right down to how they answered the phone. They listened, they cared, they were pleasant. I didn’t feel like an inconvenience to them,” she said. “What impressed me the most was how accommodating and how friendly they were. It’s a scary time, you are really going through something. They got that.”
DeLibro’s tumor was completely removed, and based on the type of cancer she has, she’ll go for radiation therapy and take an estrogen inhibitor.
“Danielle had the most common type of cancer. It starts in the milk duct, and it’s sensitive to estrogen,” Brutus said. “The thought process is if the cancer is sensitive to estrogen, that estrogen is used by cancer cells to grow. So, by giving an inhibitor, we trick the cancer cells to trick them into thinking there is no more estrogen in the body.”
“Dr. Brutus was very organized and detailed; I knew exactly where I stood. We were always in sync,” DeLibro said. “I felt like the whole team was extremely knowledgeable. They personalized everything for me.”
“What we do is really personalize the treatment,” Brutus said. “Each cancer is different. We don’t only treat the cancer, we treat the person.”
DeLibro is now recovering, and even though she caught her cancer early, the journey took its toll on her family — particularly her teenage boys.
“My kids are strong. They’re smart, they’re intuitive, and they watched me very closely,” she said. “My youngest son said, ‘Mom, I want to protect you, so I’m sleeping with you tonight.’”
Catching breast cancer early is key to positive outcomes, and Brutus recommends knowing as much as you can about yourself, your family and your body.
“Women have to be comfortable with their bodies,” she said. “The more often you do exams, the more likely you’ll see a change. If there is any concern, reach out to your doctor. Everyone should have an exam at least once a year by a provider. And if you are 40 and older, you should have a screening mammogram every year. If you have a family history, discuss your risk.”
DeLibro’s selfscreening changed her cancer journey; it minimized its effect on her life. She wishes the same for every woman.
This is just one example of Hartford HealthCare St. Vincent’s Medical Center bringing more specialists and providers to the community. Tune into Hartford HealthCare St. Vincent’s Medical Center’s Facebook Live discussion, where you can ask your questions, April 28 at noon. And for more information, log on to stvincents.org/cancer