Mother and Daughter, United by a Breast Cancer Journey

Mother and Daughter,

United by a Breast Cancer Journey

Lesya Feinstein

The Ashland Beacon

For UK King’s Daughters patients Heather Butcher and her mother, Toni Patton, breast cancer has become part of a story they never expected to share.

Today, the two women describe themselves as best friends and each other’s “ride or die.” Their bond took on an even deeper meaning after both faced breast cancer, just five years apart.

For Heather, 38, the journey began during Labor Day weekend in 2020.

She had been experiencing sharp pains in her left breast but initially thought little of it. Then, while lying in bed watching television, she felt compelled to perform a self-exam.

“That’s when I found the lump,” Heather said.

She immediately called her mother for guidance. Both could tell the lump was large and easily movable.

Heather made an appointment with her gynecologist, followed by a mammogram, biopsy and additional testing. She soon received the words no one wants to hear: breast cancer.

Heather was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer, with a tumor measuring 4 cm. Her care team, including breast surgeon Katherine Hughes, M.D., and nurse navigator Bethany Gentry, RN, recommended chemotherapy before surgery to shrink the tumor.

“I was devastated,” Heather said. “I didn’t want to do the chemo. I didn’t want to lose my hair. I thought this was going to be ‘easy-peasy’, no big deal.”

She ultimately underwent six chemotherapy treatments before having surgery in March 2021. Thankfully, the cancer had not spread to her lymph nodes, and she did not need radiation.

By February 2022, Heather had finally completed her treatment.

She thought her family’s experience with breast cancer was finished.

Then, five years after Heather’s surgery, Toni received her own diagnosis.

Toni, 66, had gone for her regular mammogram in December. She was called back for additional imaging and ultimately underwent a biopsy. In January, she received the news that the biopsy showed Stage 0 breast cancer, a non-invasive stage where abnormal cells stay inside the milk ducts and have not spread to surrounding healthy breast tissue. “I was very, very blessed,” Toni said.

Because the cancer was caught early, Toni was able to have the lump removed without chemotherapy. Her treatment journey was significantly different from her daughter’s, but the diagnosis brought back memories of everything Heather had experienced.

When Toni called Heather to tell her the news, she was crying.

Heather knew exactly what to say.

“We went through this once, so we’ll do it again,” she told her mother.

Heather was relieved that her mother would not have to endure the chemotherapy, hair loss and neuropathy she had experienced during her own treatment.

“It was rough,” Heather said. “Her journey, we are very thankful, was much easier.”

The timing of Toni’s surgery was also striking. Her procedure was scheduled exactly five years after Heather’s.

“I told Dr. Hughes, ‘You realize it was five years ago tomorrow that you were doing this for me,’” Heather recalled. “It was just wild.”

For the mother and daughter, their shared experience has only strengthened an already close relationship.

“I said, ‘Mom, I know that we are just so alike,’” Heather said. “I told her, ‘But that doesn’t mean you’re supposed to go have the same stuff I have.’”

They now describe themselves as a team. Two women, there to hold each other’s hands, cry together, laugh together, and help one another through difficult moments.

“When I heard that it was breast cancer, I knew that I had my greatest supporter right here,” Toni said, pointing to her daughter.

Now, both women hope their story will encourage other women to take their health seriously.

Toni credits her decision to undergo screening with helping catch her cancer at an early stage.

“Go with your gut. Go and have it checked out,” she said. “You don’t know. I was blessed to be able to catch it at zero. If you put it off, it could get so much worse.”

Heather encourages women to pay attention to changes in their bodies and not hesitate to seek medical attention.

“Go do it, please,” she said. “If you feel something weird, if there’s any sharp pain or whatever, just get checked out. It takes 10 minutes of your day, and it can save your life.”

Throughout both of their journeys, Heather and Toni said they felt supported by the team at UK King’s Daughters every step of the way. From diagnosis and treatment to the compassion shown by their caregivers, they said they never felt like they were facing breast cancer alone.

For Heather, having experienced the care firsthand made it especially meaningful to later see her mother cared for by many of the same people.

“We have been so blessed with the care we’ve received at King’s Daughters,” Heather said. “They have taken such good care of both of us.”

Their experiences have left both women with the same message for others: trust your instincts, keep up with recommended screenings and don’t be afraid to get something checked. Early detection, they say, can make all the difference.

Other than certain types of skin cancer, breast cancer affects more women in the U.S. than any other type of cancer. In fact, 1 in 8 women will develop the disease in her lifetime. The good news is, with early detection, breast cancer is beatable.

The American Society of Breast Surgeons recommends:

• All women age 25 and older should have a formal risk assessment for breast cancer.

• Women with an average risk of breast cancer should start annual screening mammograms at age 40.

• Women with a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer should start annual screening mammograms at an earlier age and should be offered additional imaging each year.

Call 606-408-1111 to schedule your mammogram at UK King’s Daughters.