We are thrilled and honored to have Jill Sittenauer here with us today.

She is a cancer survivor and I'm just so happy to see you feeling good.

Looking good.

Please explain your experience.

So three years ago, I went in for, a routine visit with my ObGyn, and he did a breast exam, and he found a lump in my breast.

And I had had my regular screening mammogram several months before, and it had come out normal.

So I was surprised that he found a lump.

So he sent me to get a biopsy, and it turned out to be very early breast cancer.

Oh.

So, again, I was very, very surprised, but thankful that my doctor had done the breast exam in addition to the mammogram that I'd had several months before, because it would have been a whole nother year before I had my next mammogram.

And, that wouldn't have been maybe as good of an outcome for me...so.

So, early detection was critical.

It was.

And that's kind of my message that I like to tell women and, friends, I have impressed upon them the importance of you need to have your mammogram every year, but you also need to get your breast exam.

So when you go to see your primary care doctor, make sure that you get your breast exam as well as your mammogram because my cancer was found through the breast exam.

And I've never heard that.

I've always thought it was just the mammogram.

And they're encouraging that at earlier ages now.

They are depending upon your family history and your risk factors for breast cancer.

So it's important to have that conversation with your doctor about when should you start getting screened.

I know my granddaughters will likely be screened earlier because of my history with breast cancer.

So in addition to being thankful that it was found.

What goes through your mind when you get that?

Well, I was surprised, as I said, but then you start to think about, just what's going to happen next.

And, I was thankful to have really good doctors and caregivers who, we put a plan together.

I knew I was going to have a lumpectomy, so I was going to have the lump removed via surgery.

And then I knew I would have radiation.

And as long as my, margins came out clean from my surgery, I would not have to have chemo.

And that's the way it worked.

So I had my surgery, and then I had, about six weeks of radiation treatments.

And then after that, I just go in every six months and get checked, and I am on an oral medication now that helps to keep my breast cancer from coming back also.

And I'll take that for several more years.

What's in the back of your mind like is it going to come back?

Well, since my cancer was found so early and it hadn't spread, my likelihood of recurrence is very low.

So I'm again very fortunate.

But every year on April 30th, when my diagnosis date comes around and I go in for all my screenings and tests, you know, you do have that fear.

What if it's back?

You know, but I just feel like I have a good, set of caregivers and doctors in place, and I know when I'm supposed to get screened and tested, so I just go on and live my life as best I can, and I try to live every day to the fullest.

Thank you so much.