Andrea Hansen

In 2011 Andrea found a lump in the right breast and had a mammogram and ultrsound. the result came back negative.   This summer she noticed an indentation over the same lump that was found in 2011.  As months went on the indentation never went away. In January it was time for her yearly exam.  The doctor did an exam and showed no concern about the lump or the indentation. As the week went on the doctor's nonchalant responses weighted on her mind and in her gut, she just knew something was wrong. She emailed her docotor a picture of the indentation and asked to revisit the topic of the lump, but was informed that the doctor was on vacation but could go to the Urgent Care if she was concerned. About 15 min. later, she recieved another email from a diferent nurse that was helping my doctor's nurses.  The nurse was very concerned about my email and had set up an apointment with another doctor for an exam that day.  Almost immediately, he set things in motion, She had an appointment for a mammogram, ultrasound and a consult with a surgeon. By the end of the week, she was having a biopsy and everyones worst fears were coming true, she was diagnosed with Stage 2A Invasive Ductile Carcinoma and it was on the day of her 38th birthday.
The following Monday, she met with the surgeon and were talking treatment plans the and setting up appointment with oncologist.
On February 1st she underwent lumpectomy surgery which was successful but the cancer has spred to her lymph nodes. After requesting a appiontment with The Mayo Clinci in Rochester for a second opinion, it has been an unanimous decision among the doctors to have another surgery and have the remaining lymph nodes which have extracapsular involvement. In addition she is under going genetic counseling, fertility counseling, and recieve adjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant radiation therapy and endocrine therapy.  Her treatments will be starting soon after her docctor appointment this Friday.
Andrea was working  full time at Maurices as an assistant manager, as well as attending Bemidji State University,  working towards her Bachelor of Social Work Degree and Licensure of Chemical Dependency Couseling but now all those things are hold to go through treatment.