A Reflection by Kim Moon, Patient of Shelby Baptist Medical Center

In summer of 2007, at age 36, when my youngest was just a year old, I had my first screening mammogram due to a family history of breast cancer.

After this, I was informed a small area in my right breast was detected as abnormal. After a repeat mammogram and ultrasound, it was determined that a biopsy was needed. The biopsy revealed invasive ductal carcinoma. As my lymph nodes were not involved, I was considered stage 1 with negative estrogren and progesterone receptors, but positive HER2/neu receptors.

I went through a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and Herceptin infusions. I had reconstructive surgery a year after my last infusion and endured a few medical setbacks due to reactions to treatments.

But 14 years later, I am fully recovered and continue to get my annual mammogram and see Dr. Daniel Allendorf, oncologist affiliated with Shelby Baptist Medical Center. My daughters were 1 and 3 at the time of my diagnosis. They are 15 and 17 now.

"All in all, if I didn’t have my first screening mammogram early, I would not have seen them grow up. For this, I will forever be thankful for screening mammograms!"

Kim currently resides in Alabaster and has been a physician assistant for 24 years. She worked at Cotter Plastic Surgery in Alabaster from 1997 to 2013 and has since served as the Director of Student Health Services at the University of Montevallo for the last eight years.