Donna Wallach
Breast cancer survivor
Iowa City, IA
Biography
Donna was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2018 during a routine mammogram. Donna learned that she carried the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. This led her to undergo preventative surgeries. Donna has been cancer free ever since. Throughout her journey, she noted that having family and friends there to support her meant a lot. Donna was especially thankful for her husband Ken and her two sons David and Adam. Donna mentioned that Adam participated as a rider in the 2023 Illini 4000 ride for cancer research, and that during the ride, Adam dedicated a day to her. She said it warmed her heart and she is very thankful for all her family.
DIAGNOSIS
In 2018 I had gone for a standard mammogram, because I was due for one and they saw on the film they wanted to get checked out. I thought it's probably just going to be a cyst, it's no big deal. I had an ultrasound and they said they wanted me to get a biopsy just in case. I thought it’ll just be a cyst, it'll be fine. Even during the biopsy I was joking around with the doctor about his daughter and my son and maybe getting them or something, it was totally no big deal.
I had asked the doctor to describe what he saw, because I had done some googling and it had said that there are different descriptors about what they saw, they could tell based on the ultrasound whether it was cancer but they verify it with a biopsy. I asked for descriptors and he wrote them down for me. I went on a friday, so I wasn’t going to get the results until monday, but I still wasn’t too worried until I went home and googled the descriptors. I was a wreck, I was beside myself and Ken was saying: “Oh why are you so worried it's going to be negative.” Then I showed him the descriptors and what I found on Google. On Monday when the doctor called me, I had mentally prepared myself already, because I knew what the answer would be. He put me in touch with a breast surgeon. The very next day there was a whole meeting of doctors. There were 5 doctors around the room talking about what needed to be done and what tests needed to be done. It was surreal. I said it’ll be a small incision and it will be a small chunk taken out.
“She walked 23 miles in one day around Lake Geneva. To plow through adversity, and the resilience she showed, was really impressive. Not sure if she could’ve done that before cancer. ”
THE BRCA Mutation:
Then one of the doctors said, “We’ll you’re jewish so you need to get tested for the BRCA gene.” I said my mom was negative for BRCA. I'm sure that I will be negative. They said that my father could still be positive, and that I need to get tested. BRCA is a genetic mutation that gives a higher incidence of breast cancer and various other cancers. There hasn’t been any history of cancer in my dad’s family so I thought it would be negative, it would be no big deal. I went to the genetic counselor, they took a medical history, drew some blood, and then it came back positive. I contacted all my cousins on my dad’s side and they said “don’t you remember our grandfather had breast cancer.” It was much later in his life so I don’t think that my family was even told about it. The genetic counselor later said if men ever have cancer it's almost always because they are BRCA positive.
My surgery changed from being just a lumpectomy to a double mastectomy, which was a very drastic change. I took about a week to decide if that is what I wanted to do. I talked to my brother’s sister who is a gynecologist, and she said it's a no-brainer that if you are BRCA positive you have to get a double mastectomy, don't even think about it. I went ahead and got the double mastectomy, also because I am BRCA positive I had to have my ovaries removed. I stayed positive through it all. I had trouble telling people about it though, because I didn’t want them to say they’re sorry and treat me like I was dying. The best response I got was actually from one of my nephews who said “oh well that sucks.”
RECOVERY
It’s not a death sentence either. I am not sure of a survival rate, but after the double mastectomy they do an analysis of the tumor and give you a percentage chance of it coming back. The higher percentage chance of it coming back determines whether you need chemo or not. My percentage was very low, so I did not end up needing chemo. A friend of mine asked what I was so worried about with chemo, I said I did not want to lose my hair. Thankfully though I did not need to go through with chemo.
“I’m the type of person where if I put my mind to something, I will try my hardest to complete it.”
The surgery for double mastectomy was in 2018. In 2019 I had reconstruction with implants put in, and that was also the time I had my ovaries removed during this same surgery. Every six months for the first five years and now once per year I go see an oncologist and do a couple of tests, but so far I am clean. I kind of live in fear of it coming back. I wish my oncologist was a bit more aggressive with the scans. My tumor was small so I didn’t even realize what it was. The tumor was very high in my breast, near my collarbone. I had felt something, but thought it was a muscle knot as I am a very tense person.
ADVICE and SUPPORT
Get your mammograms, because you can never catch it too early. Be diligent. The statistics are 1 in every 8 women get breast cancer. Let others help, you don’t have to shoulder the burden all to yourself. I am not one to usually ask for help, but just the fact that help was there. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and accept help.
My sister in law set up a food train. A food train is a website that has sign up dates and what foods your family likes. That was very nice, the community was super helpful and it was nice to not have to cook while recovering. Everyone was so generous.
“Let people do what they can for you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and accept help.”
A video of Donna’s conversation with the team can be found on our Portraits Project YouTube channel here.