Lorraine Eve was a relatively new Kaiser Permanente member when she got a care reminder to schedule her mammogram. She’d received a breast cancer diagnosis 20 years before, and after her treatment and recovery, she wanted to make sure she never missed her annual mammograms.
Unfortunately her mammogram and subsequent testing revealed cancer, this time in both breasts. She met right away with her care team, including her radiologist, oncology surgeon, and plastic surgeon, to discuss her next steps.
Eve and her husband talked about what course of treatment would be best for her. After much discussion, they determined that a double mastectomy was the most reasonable option, so she wouldn’t have to worry about another recurrence of the cancer.
After further consultations with her care team and some additional diagnostic testing, her surgery was scheduled for the end of September 2023 with Drs. Al-bustani and Denkler. She remembers her concerns about undergoing a procedure of this magnitude.
“I was frightened because I had never had that type of surgery before, but I was assured by my oncology surgeon and plastic surgeon that everything was okay.”
Eve recalls how smoothly her surgery went, calling it “phenomenal.” She was particularly pleased that rather than have to undergo two separate procedures, one for the mastectomy and one for reconstructive surgery, Drs. Al-bustani and Denkler were able to perform both during the same procedure.
Post-surgery, Eve said she experienced no discomfort, and even felt great when she returned home from her hospital stay. She credits her entire care team and the support of the hospital staff—who also made sure her family was taken care of during her procedure—with getting her through her health crisis, so she could get back to spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
Eve is glad that she took the advice of others who encouraged her to become a member of Kaiser Permanente.
“I had a relative who had dealt with Kaiser, and she had nothing but good things to say, and I had a friend who had friends who’ve dealt with Kaiser, and they had nothing but good things to say, so I signed my husband and myself up for Kaiser.”
Her experience is proof that she made the right decision.
