Jane's Story

Jane is a 52 year old Japanese woman who moved to the United States to live with one of her daughters after her divorce.  Jane had pre-existing health conditions, including high blood pressure and numbness in her limbs.  One of her daughters brought her to Venice Family Clinic to establish care.  During her first visit, Jane wanted to focus on her immediate concern, which was her high blood pressure.  She preferred to wait until the next appointment for her women’s physical exam.  When Jane returned for the exam, she revealed that her older sister had been diagnosed with breast cancer recently.  She shared that her previous mammograms had been normal.  However, due to her increased risk with a family history, the doctor referred her for an on-site mammogram screening.  It has been three years since her first visit and continues her annual mammography screening with the Clinic.  She admits to the Program Coordinator, I dreaded having the exam, but I know I have to protect myself by finding it before it can hurt me.  That is what saved my sister’s life.