Susanne Calabrette was devastated when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37. The mother feared losing her life before being able to raise her three young daughters.
“I prayed that I could at least make it until my oldest was 18, so she could help her father with the kids,” Susanne told CBS.
Determined to remain in her family's lives, Susanne went with a radical mastectomy, an aggressive form of treatment. It was a success. Decades later, the mom would find that the breast cancer diagnosis unexpectedly saved her life.
While receiving treatment, Susanne discovered she had an inherited gene mutation, BRCA2, which put her at risks of other forms of cancer.
The presence of the mutation meant that doctors at UT Southwestern's Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center would watch her closely for the rest of her life.
Decades later, Susanne began to show signs of the "silent killer," or pancreatic cancer. Doctors can now give Susanne better treatment. The mother and wife is tearfully looking forward to spending her 52nd anniversary with her husband.
“The doctor said I won the pancreatic cancer lottery, because they found everything before it turned to cancer,” she said. “I’m living a healthier lifestyle. They definitely live a healthier lifestyle and they’re vigilant in getting their checkups and watching for it, and knowing what they’re going to do if it does happen.”
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