www.komen.org
Open in
urlscan Pro
151.101.2.159
Public Scan
Submitted URL: https://go.komen.org/e/370451/-utm-content-aware-utm-term-hq/qgjdv/1659661159/h/3osY8W1fnTF3JLzjq8oITN6OE92lN2IDtL30t...
Effective URL: https://www.komen.org/blog/valeries-story-listen-to-your-body/?utm_campaign=sgkfy25_aug_enewsletter&utm_source=8x12&ut...
Submission: On August 13 via manual from US — Scanned from CA
Effective URL: https://www.komen.org/blog/valeries-story-listen-to-your-body/?utm_campaign=sgkfy25_aug_enewsletter&utm_source=8x12&ut...
Submission: On August 13 via manual from US — Scanned from CA
Form analysis 5 forms found in the DOM
GET https://www.komen.org/
<form role="search" method="get" class="search-form" action="https://www.komen.org/">
<label>
<span class="screen-reader-text">Search for:</span>
<input type="search" class="search-field" placeholder="Search …" value="" name="s">
</label>
<input type="submit" class="search-submit" value="Search">
</form>GET /
<form id="sgk_blog_search" role="search" method="get" action="/" class="wp-block-search__button-outside wp-block-search__icon-button wp-block-search">
<label for="wp-block-search__input-2" class="wp-block-search__label screen-reader-text">Search</label>
<div class="wp-block-search__inside-wrapper ">
<input type="search" id="wp-block-search__input-2" class="wp-block-search__input " name="s" value="" placeholder="Search Blog" required=""><button type="submit" class="wp-block-search__button has-icon" aria-label="Search"><svg id="search-icon"
class="search-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="24" height="24">
<path d="M13.5 6C10.5 6 8 8.5 8 11.5c0 1.1.3 2.1.9 3l-3.4 3 1 1.1 3.4-2.9c1 .9 2.2 1.4 3.6 1.4 3 0 5.5-2.5 5.5-5.5C19 8.5 16.5 6 13.5 6zm0 9.5c-2.2 0-4-1.8-4-4s1.8-4 4-4 4 1.8 4 4-1.8 4-4 4z">
</path>
</svg></button>
<input type="hidden" value="post" name="post_type" id="post_type">
</div>
</form>GET /
<form id="sgk_blog_search" role="search" method="get" action="/" class="wp-block-search__button-outside wp-block-search__icon-button wp-block-search">
<label for="wp-block-search__input-2" class="wp-block-search__label screen-reader-text">Search</label>
<div class="wp-block-search__inside-wrapper ">
<input type="search" id="wp-block-search__input-2" class="wp-block-search__input " name="s" value="" placeholder="Search Blog" required=""><button type="submit" class="wp-block-search__button has-icon" aria-label="Search"><svg id="search-icon"
class="search-icon" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="24" height="24">
<path d="M13.5 6C10.5 6 8 8.5 8 11.5c0 1.1.3 2.1.9 3l-3.4 3 1 1.1 3.4-2.9c1 .9 2.2 1.4 3.6 1.4 3 0 5.5-2.5 5.5-5.5C19 8.5 16.5 6 13.5 6zm0 9.5c-2.2 0-4-1.8-4-4s1.8-4 4-4 4 1.8 4 4-1.8 4-4 4z">
</path>
</svg></button>
<input type="hidden" value="post" name="post_type" id="post_type">
</div>
</form>POST /blog/valeries-story-listen-to-your-body/#gf_1
<form method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" target="gform_ajax_frame_1" id="gform_1" class="home-email-subscriber" action="/blog/valeries-story-listen-to-your-body/#gf_1" data-formid="1" novalidate="">
<div class="gform-body gform_body">
<ul id="gform_fields_1" class="gform_fields top_label form_sublabel_below description_below validation_below">
<li id="field_1_1" class="gfield gfield--type-email field_sublabel_below gfield--no-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_1_1"><label class="gfield_label gform-field-label"
for="input_1_1">Email</label>
<div class="ginput_container ginput_container_email">
<input name="input_1" id="input_1_1" type="email" value="" class="medium" placeholder="Email address" aria-invalid="false">
</div>
</li>
<li id="field_1_2" class="gfield gfield--type-honeypot gform_validation_container field_sublabel_below gfield--has-description field_description_below field_validation_below gfield_visibility_visible" data-js-reload="field_1_2"><label
class="gfield_label gform-field-label" for="input_1_2">Phone</label>
<div class="ginput_container"><input name="input_2" id="input_1_2" type="text" value="" autocomplete="new-password"></div>
<div class="gfield_description" id="gfield_description_1_2">This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="gform_footer top_label"> <input type="submit" id="gform_submit_button_1" class="gform_button button" value="Subscribe"
onclick="if(window["gf_submitting_1"]){return false;} if( !jQuery("#gform_1")[0].checkValidity || jQuery("#gform_1")[0].checkValidity()){window["gf_submitting_1"]=true;} "
onkeypress="if( event.keyCode == 13 ){ if(window["gf_submitting_1"]){return false;} if( !jQuery("#gform_1")[0].checkValidity || jQuery("#gform_1")[0].checkValidity()){window["gf_submitting_1"]=true;} jQuery("#gform_1").trigger("submit",[true]); }">
<input type="hidden" name="gform_ajax" value="form_id=1&title=&description=&tabindex=0&theme=legacy">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="is_submit_1" value="1">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_submit" value="1">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_unique_id" value="">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="state_1" value="WyJbXSIsImYwY2YwMDM1M2FkZDM4MzU0NGQ4OTE4YzYwNzk0Y2U0Il0=">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_target_page_number_1" id="gform_target_page_number_1" value="0">
<input type="hidden" class="gform_hidden" name="gform_source_page_number_1" id="gform_source_page_number_1" value="1">
<input type="hidden" name="gform_field_values" value="">
</div>
<p style="display: none !important;" class="akismet-fields-container" data-prefix="ak_"><label>Δ<textarea name="ak_hp_textarea" cols="45" rows="8" maxlength="100"></textarea></label><input type="hidden" id="ak_js_1" name="ak_js"
value="1723567248869">
<script>
document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value", (new Date()).getTime());
</script>
</p>
</form>POST
<form class="lg-signup" method="POST">
<div class="input-block">
<div class="input-field">
<input type="text" placeholder="First Name" id="first_name" maxlength="40" name="first_name" required="">
</div>
<div class="input-field">
<input type="text" placeholder="Last Name" id="last_name" maxlength="80" name="last_name" required="">
</div>
</div>
<div class="input-block with-button">
<div class="input-field">
<input type="email" placeholder="Enter your email" id="email" maxlength="80" name="email" required="">
</div>
<input name="lead_source" type="hidden" id="lead_source" value="EverSub">
<input name="Campaign_ID" type="hidden" id="campaign_id" value="7012M000001qbzGQAQ">
<div class="button-field">
<button id="lg-submit" type="submit" name="submit" onclick="submitForm()">Sign up</button>
</div>
</div>
</form>Text Content
Komen.org uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
Learn more
Got it!
Skip to content
helpline@komen.org Help: 1-877 GO KOMEN Contact Us
* Login | Register
* Your Account
Manage your account,
subscriptions and profile.
Go Now >
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MyKomen Health
Go Now >
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ShareForCures
Go Now >
In Your Community
In Your Community
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
View resources and events in your local community.
Change your location:
Zip Code
OR
State State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut
Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa
Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota
Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico
New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode
Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia
Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Search
Susan G. Komen®
One moment can change everything.
* Login | Register
* Your Account
Manage your account,
subscriptions and profile.
Go Now >
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MyKomen Health
Go Now >
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ShareForCures
Go Now >
* About
Breast Cancer
* About Breast Cancer
* Facts & Statistics
* Signs & Symptoms
* Risk Factors
* Screening & Detection
* Diagnosis
* Treatment
* Metastatic Breast Cancer
* Survivorship Topics
* What’s New in Breast Cancer
* Health Equity
* Patients & Caregivers
* Tools & Resources
* Our Helpline
* Patient Care Center
* Clinical Trials
* Support
* Financial Assistance
& Insurance
* Educational Resources
* Glossary
* Other Helpful Resources
* Podcasts
* Share Your Story
* Researchers & Healthcare Providers
* How We Fund Research
* Research Investments
* Meet Our Scholars
* Apply for a Grant
* Big Data for Breast Cancer
* ShareForCures
* Inflammatory Breast Cancer Initiative
* How to Help
* Ways to Give
* Donate Now
* Employer Gift Match
* Planned Giving
* Individual Giving
* Memorial Giving
* Other Ways to Give
* Ways to Partner
* Become a Partner
* Meet Our Partners
* Ways to Fundraise
* Race or Walk
* 3-Day Walk
* DIY Fundraising
* Play with a Purpose
* Advocate
* Get Involved
* Take Action
* Become an Advocate in Science
* Search
Donate Give Monthly
Search
Search for:
Close
SUSAN G. KOMEN BLOG
STORIES ABOUT BREAST CANCER THAT CAN INSPIRE AND INFORM
Blog | Newsroom
Search
VALERIE’S STORY: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
June 1, 2024 Personal Stories Share
The feeling that something was wrong with her body nagged at Valerie Engel. She
had two small children, was active and overall, very healthy. “I think people
thought I was crazy, but I had this constant inner feeling that I had cancer,”
she recalled. She was 34 and had no family history of breast cancer. And yet the
feeling just kept tugging at her, so she chose to listen to her body. “I knew
something wasn’t right,” she said. “I’ve always been very healthy. I believe
it’s important to connect with your mind and body.”
Determined to listen to her inner voice, Valerie asked her doctor about
scheduling a mammogram. At first, he resisted, telling her it was too early,
that she should wait until she turned 40. Undeterred, she kept insisting. “It’s
important to listen to your inner voice,” she said. “Fight for yourself, no
matter how impossible the situation seems.”
Valerie’s doctor finally agreed to schedule a mammogram for her. In the weeks
leading up to it, she found herself getting anxious. “I’m never worried about
going to the doctor. I’ve had surgeries before, I had c-sections. But for some
reason this was making me nervous,” Valerie said. She asked friends if they had
gone in for mammograms, but they all said no, they weren’t yet 40.
“I started questioning myself then, worried I was overthinking,” she said. “But
I still went and did it.” While it was her first mammogram, she noticed the
technician seemed to spend more time on one breast than the other. Once the
mammogram was done, the office told her she probably wouldn’t need another one
for two or three years.
“I thought great, it’s done,” she said. “They told me if everything was fine, I
wouldn’t hear from them. It was almost Christmas, so I was buying presents and
my phone rang and I was nervous to see it was the doctor. I knew something was
wrong.”
Valerie had a second (diagnostic) mammogram, followed by an ultrasound and two
biopsies. The results confirmed she had stage 1B breast cancer. “It’s a feeling
I cannot describe. It’s really like a bus hits you straight in the face,” she
said. “I was by myself, not expecting this news. And then I had to go home and
tell my husband, and I needed to tell my mother, who was in France.”
Days later, Valerie met with her doctor. “He explained everything and put me at
ease. I had never met anyone who had breast cancer,” Valerie explained. “You get
so many options and so much information. Did I want a lumpectomy or a bilateral
mastectomy? It was overwhelming.”
When an MRI revealed the cancer had affected her nipple and areola, Valerie knew
which surgery she wanted. “With this news, I decided to remove everything, to
have a bilateral mastectomy,” she said. “In France, my mother said they were
against a bilateral mastectomy, that I should go to France for treatment, so I
really felt like I was torn between two directions, the French side and the
American side.”
Valerie stood her ground. “I’m very strong minded,” she said. “From the start I
liked my doctor, I trusted him, and for me, I wanted the bilateral mastectomy.”
She had the surgery, followed by immediate reconstruction.
“Of course, a bilateral mastectomy can feel like taking your identity as a woman
away,” Valerie said. “It’s kind of hard to accept because it feels like you have
a new body, but I feel like for me I made the right choice.”
She sometimes thinks about what might have happened had she listened to her
doctor initially, when he recommended waiting for a mammogram until she turned
40. “I probably would have died,” Valerie said. “Instead, it was caught very
early. It’s better to be proactive rather than just waiting and sweeping
something under the rug. You have to be strong minded and push for yourself.”
Breast cancer screening and early detection play an important role in your
health. Screening tests can help detect breast cancer at an early stage when the
chances of survival are highest. Learn more about breast cancer screening and
early detection.
Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express
the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for
educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons
with breast cancer should consult their healthcare provider with specific
questions or concerns about their treatment.
POST NAVIGATION
Previous Janice’s Story: Pain to Passion
Next Janay’s Story: Getting My Life Back After Breast Cancer
RELATED STORIES
Twin Sisters Undergo Breast Cancer Together
August 9, 2024
Lori’s Story: Caregiver Turned Patient
August 9, 2024
Lee’s Story: Recognizing the Good
August 8, 2024
Search
RECENT BLOG POSTS
* Committee Seeks to Elevate Voices, Meet Needs of People Living with MBCAugust
9, 2024
* Twin Sisters Undergo Breast Cancer TogetherAugust 9, 2024
* Lori’s Story: Caregiver Turned PatientAugust 9, 2024
View All
CATEGORIES
Advocacy(65)
Cancer Updates(36)
Care(153)
Community(109)
Komen Perspectives(37)
MBC(1)
News(18)
Partnerships(41)
Personal Stories(454)
Real Talk(9)
Research(137)
ShareForCures(3)
STAY CONNECTED
*
*
*
*
*
*
EMAIL SIGN-UP
* Email
* Phone
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Δ
ABOUT
* About Komen
* Leadership
* Financials
* Careers
* In Your Community
EXPLORE
* Grants Central
* Fundraise
* Find an Event
* Terms of Use
* Charity Navigator
* Komen en Español
* Shop Komen
* Privacy Policy
* Legal & Disclosures
* Site Map
BLOG
* Blog
* Newsroom
* Podcast
* Share Your Story
CONTACT
Breast Care Helpline:
1-877 GO KOMEN
1-877-465-6636 (Se habla español)
helpline@komen.org
Donor Services Support:
1-877 GO KOMEN
1-877-465-6636 (Se habla español)
info@komen.org
All Inquiries:
Contact Us
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
© 2024 Susan G. Komen is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. EIN 75-1835298
Back To Top
Notifications
×
STAY IN TOUCH. STAY INVOLVED.
Sign up for email updates
from Susan G. Komen.
Sign up