Breast Cancer Survivor and the Tech that Mapped Her Journey
CHATTANOOGA, TN – Since 1985, we’ve celebrated October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, largely due to the efforts of former First Lady Betty Ford. We do this to increase awareness, encourage early detection, and honor survivors. Today’s Tech Byte will be slightly outside of the box as we bring in one of my favorite survivors, and she’s going to tell us about the tech that helps increase awareness and save lives.
I could have called a doctor or an imaging center and they would have gladly showcased their tech and how it works in detection and prevention but Ashley Ellison is a friend of ours that made a well timed social media post about surviving cancer that made me want to bring her journey to you. Ashley is a corporate executive and competitive body builder here in Chattanooga, TN. She was diagnosed during Covid and spent most of her journey alone. Now she spends her time training for her next competition and encouraging detection and routine exams for other people just like her.
According to Ashley, she had a multitude of scans and treatments along the way. “I think I had it all. but my first mammogram was actually just a regular mammogram. Now since then I’ve done 3D mammograms. Which is a better way for them to detect early breast cancer. But I also have them every six months to follow up to make sure I don’t have anything reoccurring,” says Ellison. “So I am not the tech person. I’m the survivor. However, before my surgery they did a 3D scan where they actually mark, where the tumor was. So my chemotherapy actually shrunk the tumor to where they couldn’t see it anymore. But they do this mapping so that when the surgeon goes in to do the lumpectomy and remove the tissue, they’ve basically got a marker there.”
With 3d Mammograms the physicians can make a full model of the tissue and where the abnormalities are. Ellison said its just like any other map or 3d model where X marks the spot. While the technology has come a long way in the treatment, Ashley maintains that the tech used in prevention is still important. “My tumor was actually big. And you could see it and you could feel it. But that’s not always the case. So that’s why it’s so important for women to get mammograms. When you turn 40 for sure. But if you have a family history, you should get it before.”
Betty Ford was diagnosed during a routine mammogram and was treated with a mastectomy in 1974. Technology has come a long way since then and a lot of it is due to the former first lady and her efforts to increase awareness.
According to Ellison the technology sounds scary, but it really isn’t. “It’s not scary at all. It seems a little scary to hear about it, but the technology has come so far with specifically mammograms that, paired with the professionals that administer the mammogram. It’s not painful. It’s not scary. It’s very noninvasive. And you shouldn’t be scared. The horror stories are not always the horror. Please. Please go get your mammograms, get your scans, see your doctors do self-exams. And if you feel something, schedule that appointment. It saved my life.”
Don’t just honor the survivors in your life in October, stand with them year round and encourage early detection and prevention. You could help be the voice that helps save the next life.
