Mary Beth Eckersley was diagnosed with breast cancer four-years ago. As a result, she had half a breast removed in September of 2012.
But then came more bad news. In 2015, the Calgary woman found out the cancer had an 80 per cent chance of reoccurring, so she had a full mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery at the Foothills Medical Centre on the same day.
“I was in for a long haul. So you have your pity party for about a week and then I decided I was going to make it as positive as possible,” Eckersley said.
Her way of being more positive is sharing her story with other women facing the same life altering news.
She spoke at the 6th annual Breast Cancer Reconstruction Awareness Day event at the Foothills Medical Centre Saturday.
“It’s a horrible thing to have to go through, but you can turn it into something that helps someone else. That’s the whole point of it. You have to share what you went through, you have to help other women,” Eckersley said.
She shared all the details of her breast reconstruction surgery with women attending the event.
“So all breast tissue is literally scraped from your chest wall. Nipples and everything go away and then Dr. McKenzie and his team rebuilt my chest from my own stomach tissue. So it’s the ultimate in recycling!” Eckersley said with a laugh.
While breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, only 10 per cent end up getting breast reconstruction surgery within a year of having a mastectomy.
“Most of the women here, if you ask them ‘if you had to go back in the hospital do you want to go back tomorrow?’ Almost all of them will say no. I’m going to take my time,” Eckersley said.
But Tom Baker Cancer Centre plastic surgeon Dr. Claire Temple-Oberle, the BRA Day Calgary Medical lead, stresses the benefits to cancer survivors who qualify, to have the mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery on the same day.
“Because each time a woman has to have another operation, that impacts everyone around her. She is likely in a family and has people who depend on her and colleagues who depend on her. And she would have to take another four or six weeks off of her life to go through another procedure. So wherever we can couple these procedures, we think that is the best for women’s quality-of-life,” Dr. Temple-Oberle said.
Surgeons say events like the one in Calgary on Saturday are important for getting information to women about the benefits and risks of breast reconstruction surgery as well as the wait times.
“Access can be challenging, particularly for rural women, but even in urban centres it is difficult at times for women to access breast reconstructive consultation,” Dr. Temple-Oberle said.
Temple-Oberle pointed out there are a number of reasons why women don’t have reconstructive surgery. One, is personal choice. The surgery also carries some risk.
“Another is that it’s painful. It’s painful to recover from. Sometimes after women have been through chemotherapy and radiation they don’t want any more pain. They are tired of the medical system and they just want to move on,” Dr. Temple-Oberle said. “But where it is important to women, where she is going to pursue it in the future if she is a good candidate, it’s so much better for her and for society for her to have her reconstructive surgery upfront.”
As for Mary Beth Eckersley, she speaks bluntly about both the pain and happiness associated with her reconstructive surgery.
“It’s a very personal choice. I think it’s wonderful. I think the reconstruction was outstanding,” Eckersley said of her surgery. “I believe bringing things into the light makes it less scary. When you whisper and it’s in a dark corner, that’s what scary. If we are honest about how much it hurts or what the incisions are like or what the recovery is like, then everybody has this information and knowledge and then you’re not as afraid.”
There are several types of breast reconstruction. Patients can get a silicone gel or saline implant or have surgery using their own body tissue where skin and fat is taken from another part of the body.
Breast reconstruction is a fully-insured medical procedure in Canada.
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