Triumph and teamwork: Overcoming cancer not once, but twice

Milwaukee is home for Andrea Wallace. It’s where she met her husband, started her family, fell in love with the lake and found a job she truly enjoys. It’s also where she was diagnosed with and treated for cancer — not once, but twice.

Shortly after Andrea moved to Milwaukee, she was connected with Dr. Julie Webb who became her gynecologist. After receiving regular care for over a decade, Andrea’s annual wellness visit in 2021 presented something of concern — a lump.

“During that visit, Dr. Webb said ‘I feel a lump, do you feel this?’,” Andrea shared. “I couldn’t feel anything, despite her showing me where it was. At 39 I wasn’t even old enough for my first regular mammogram, so Dr. Webb referred me for a diagnostic mammogram just to make sure that everything was ok.”

Andrea was confused. She had no family history of breast cancer, breastfed both of her kids with no issue and felt like she knew her body well. Two weeks later, she went in for her mammogram and thought ‘this is just a fluke.’

But then, Andrea was called back for imaging multiple times. Everything, Andrea shared, felt as if it was getting heavier and heavier. She didn’t know what was happening. And then, during an ultrasound, she received the news that nobody wants to hear — she had breast cancer.

“I didn’t know what to feel, and I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know which way was up. I still had two kids, I still had a husband and I still had my normal responsibilities,” Andrea shared. “From there I had additional biopsies and was connected to a nurse navigator who walked me through my diagnosis.”

Andrea moved forward with a double mastectomy and did not need chemo or radiation. She thought she was finally in the clear, but after three and a half years, everything changed.

“One night I was working on my laptop, and I went to scratch my shoulder and noticed what felt like a lump. I called my oncology office, they got me in quickly, and sure enough there was a lump,” Andrea shared. 

Everything moved quickly. Andrea didn’t receive a biopsy, and instead received surgery to remove the lymph node and began radiation and a different regiment of medications and check ups.

The second time around, Andrea felt as if she were in a much better place. She had supportive mentors through ABCD, an integrative therapist, joined Team Phoenix — an educational fitness program for cancer survivors — and received ongoing support from her full Ascension Wisconsin care team, including Dr. Webb.

Since being diagnosed with cancer not once, but twice, Andrea has also completed her first triathlon, an achievement that symbolizes strength and resilience. 

Surrounded by her family, friends and care team, she’s now embracing each day in the city she calls home. 

Andrea shares her story to shed light on the importance of routine, preventive care, which can be a crucial component in diagnosing and treating breast cancer in its earliest stages. Click here to schedule your mammogram today.