{"id":27332,"date":"2021-08-06T16:37:19","date_gmt":"2021-08-06T16:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cmshub.wpengine.com\/?p=351871"},"modified":"2024-11-03T15:14:33","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T15:14:33","slug":"survivors-lucky-chance-encounter-with-her-old-surgeon-leads-to-an-early-breast-cancer-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ogkologos.com\/en\/survivors-lucky-chance-encounter-with-her-old-surgeon-leads-to-an-early-breast-cancer-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"Survivor\u2019s Lucky Chance Encounter with Her Old Surgeon Leads to an Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A 52-year-old mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago considers herself lucky to have run into her old surgeon at the perfect time so that her new case of breast cancer could be diagnosed and treated early.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Nicky Marks<\/a> was initially diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer over a decade ago, she still had fairly young children at home and was worried about not living to see all the important milestones in their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI was so distraught,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI just thought, \u2018I\u2019ll never see my son\u2019s bar mitzvah. I\u2019ll never see my kids graduate.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: Adobe Stock\/Chinnapong<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Her cancer case required surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy<\/a> over the course of two years, but she eventually went into remission and thought her cancer journey was behind her. Doctors continued to monitor her using annual mammograms, but as the years wore on, Nicky moved on with her life and stopped worrying about the cancer returning.<\/span><\/p>\n

But after 13 years, a serendipitous reunion with her former surgeon changed everything for Nicky.<\/span><\/p>\n

On that lucky day, Nicky was out for a run when she bumped into Dr. Victor Jaffe<\/a>. She reintroduced herself as his former patient, but she was not expecting his response.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI said to him, \u2018I\u2019m one of your survivors. You operated on me 13 years ago,’\u201d she recalls. \u201cAnd he looked at me with a strange look I can\u2019t really explain, and he just said, \u2018Please make an appointment at my clinic.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: Adobe Stock\/Gorodenkoff<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So she did. Lo and behold, Dr. Jaffe\u2019s intuition was correct. Nicky did indeed have a cancerous lump in her breast.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart just sank, and I just thought, \u2018Here we go again.’\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nicky is set to have a lumpectomy<\/a> in about a month to remove the tumor, followed by radiotherapy. But this time, instead of thinking about the possibility of this being the end of her life, she\u2019s planning to stay positive.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In fact, instead of focusing on herself, she\u2019s planning to run 5 kilometers per day every day until her lumpectomy in the hopes of raising \u00a38,000 for Alyn Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a> in Jerusalem.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Photo: Adobe Stock\/asife<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nicky\u2019s now-28-year-old son, who works as a guest entertainer on a cruise ship, will be running on a treadmill to support her efforts, as well as donating all his tips to the cause. And her 26-year-old daughter is donating her tips from her hair salon job. The family has a Just Giving<\/a> page that has already raised more than \u00a37,000.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are really getting involved and the donations that I\u2019ve got are from friends of friends of friends,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve obviously touched a nerve somewhere. It\u2019s just amazing how inspiring it\u2019s been for people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nicky hopes her journey can inspire others to stay vigilant about their health. \u201cAlthough you check yourself, if you\u2019re due a mammogram, take it,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd also, if you are unfortunately given any sort of bad news, whether it be cancer or anything, you always have a choice to go with love or to go with fear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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