Survivor : Dianna Lindholm, 48, Londonderry . Dianna Lindholm hopes her story of perseverance will inspire other cancer survivors. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, and having dense breast tissue herself, Dianna, who is now 48, knew she needed to be proactive in addressing her risk of breast cancer.
For 10 years, she was closely monitored by Elliot Breast Health Center’s High Risk Clinic to ensure any potential cancer was found early. In April 2023 after a routine mammogram, followed by an ultrasound and MRI, she received the devastating news — she too had breast cancer. “Staff at the Elliot Breast Health Center were amazing.
I was given all my options after my diagnosis — the less invasive lumpectomy, or a mastectomy. I chose a double mastectomy because of my own medical and family history.” In June 2023, Dianna underwent surgery at Elliot Hospital with surgeon Dr.
Lana Shikhman. During the mastectomy, eight lymph nodes were removed, and two were found to be cancerous — she had made the right decision, and her proactive decision had saved her life. The mother of two teenagers, Dianna’s son was graduating high school just one week after her surgery.
She was determined to be there, and, with the support of her amazing family she made it to the celebration. “There was no way cancer was going to stop me from experiencing this milestone,” Dianna said. After additional testing, Dianna found that she would not need chemotherapy treatment.
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