The Kathrina Miccio Story
By Melissa Billie Clark
As colder days approach, let us embrace the warmth that preventative medicine provides! According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 310,720 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the end of 2024.
While some choose to opt out of having a mammogram for financial, cultural, or personal reasons, there are alternative ways to protect yourself. A self-breast exam can help detect lumps, exercising regularly, maintaining a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, and limiting alcohol consumption can attribute to a healthy lifestyle. It may also be helpful to discuss with your doctor the option of taking the BRCA test if you have a family history of Breast Cancer.
Kathrina Miccio, Artist, Writer, Director and Actress
In 2015, Miccio discovered two lumps in her right breast. Concerned, she visited her doctor, who explained that it could be hormonal; however, Miccio felt something was wrong. She decided to get a sonogram followed by a biopsy.
On Sunday, August 23, 2015, she received a call from her doctor; Miccio recalled, “When you get a call from a doctor on a Sunday, it can’t be a good thing.” Unfortunately, Miccio was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, classified between stage 1 and 2, with one of the lumps measuring 3 centimeters.
A devoted mammogram patient, Miccio, had to wait two months longer than she usually would that year due to an insurance modification. Her life would forever change as she began her treatments that would last for 2 ½ years. The doctor assured her that the preventative medicine that she required would give her a 98% chance that the cancer would not come back in the same spot.
Before her treatments began, the doctor recommended that she shave off her hair to avoid a traumatizing experience when her hair would eventually fall out. She purchased a wig closest to match her natural hair and went to her hairdresser where they began the process. Miccio told the Spring Creek Sun, “Thank goodness my hairdresser was funny because we laughed the whole time while I was in the chair.”
While in chemotherapy, Miccio relied on friends and family to keep her company. However, she realized that she could get through it herself, she reflected: “I remember waiting to get my treatment done by myself for the first time, and I broke down, but I knew I could get through it alone.”
Miccio, having been an artist, turned to her paintings to cope. She created a mural for a pediatric office titled “Blue Footed Boobies,” which are birds that can be found off the Western coasts of Central and South America.
Miccio felt joy knowing that her artwork brought smiles to young patients when they entered the doctor’s office. In addition to her paintings, she wrote, directed, and produced her comedy film “St. Joseph.” She said, “I immersed myself into my creativity, which helped me during this time.”
Miccio was cancer-free for eight years; she was recently diagnosed with Cervical Cancer that was unrelated and is now in remission.
The Opportunity Hub will hold a Breast Screening at 1234 Pennsylvania Avenue on December 14th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To find out more about Breast Cancer Awareness, head over to www.nationalbreastcancer.org.
