Robin Leidhecker speaks about her story and the
importance of the free treatment program |
Previous Survivor Stories
Montoursville, Lycoming County
I am self-employed as a real estate title searcher
conducting courthouse research for banks and
attorneys. My husband is self-employed as a
constructionmanager and we do not have health
insurance. We looked into buying individual
insurance but the cost is prohibitive.
Diagnosis and Treatment
I have always done whatever was necessary to
take care of our health, paying for doctor
appointments and medications out of pocket.
Every year for the past 9 or 10 years I have been
going for a screening mammogram through the
PA Department of Health’s HealthyWoman
program. On a Friday afternoon this past
October I had what I thought would be another
routine annual mammogram, but first thing the
following Monday morning I got a call to come
back in to the hospital. The doctor showed me
the mammogram and pointed out clusters of
calcified cells, which is what alerted them to
follow up. Then I had a stereotactic
mammogram and was diagnosed with ductal
carcinoma in situ.
I had surgery on November 11th and
everything went smoothly. I had never even had
anesthesia before! I had MammoSite 5-day
targeted radiation therapy and will be on
tamoxifen for the next five years.
All of those tests and procedures are being
covered through the FREE TREATMENT PROGRAM
available for uninsured and underinsured
women as part of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania’s Breast and Cervical Cancer
Prevention and Treatment program. The nurse
gave me a form to fill out and handled the rest.
She told me not to worry about the cost because
the FREE TREATMENT PROGRAM would take care
of anything I needed. That was a tremendous
weight off my mind. I was able to take on the
job of just getting well. I believe it speeds
recovery when you don’t have to worry and have
anxiety about paying the bills. Dr. Timothy
Pagana at Susquehanna Health's Kathryn
Candor Lundy Breast Cancer Center at Divine
Providence Hospital treated me and I feel
fortunate to have found him.
“Breast cancer is
something you
always think
happens to someone
else... I’m used to
handling things
myself but this
was something I
couldn’t fix.”
- Robin Leidhecker |
What Things Really Count
Breast cancer is something you always think
happens to someone else. We all think that. I
ate right, took care of myself, and had no risk
factors, nothing that indicated that I should
watch for breast cancer … no family history. I
guess that creates a false sense of security.
I’m used to handling things myself but this
was something I couldn’t fix. I’m less concerned
with being a perfectionist now. I’ve learned to
trust people around me. I saw that my family
would be with me, that my friends would bring
meals, and my son and daughter-in-law would
go to doctor appointments withme. I guess this
happens to anyone who goes through a
life-threatening experience … faith, family and
friends become more important. You begin to
realize what things really count.
I tell other women to get those
mammograms. If you’re not going to do it for
yourself, think of your family and do it for them.
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