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U.S. District Judge shares his story after battle with breast cancer
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Brian Jackson is a United States District Judge who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.
At first he noticed some discoloration on his chest that eventually became painful. After several visits to different doctors, a dermatologist ordered a biopsy that tested Brian’s tissue for cancer.
“A few days later, he called me with the dreaded news. Those three words I never want, no-one ever wants to hear. You have cancer,” Brian said.
He said that it came as a complete shock.
“I was shocked. I found it rather confounding, perplexing. How could I be diagnosed with breast cancer? I’m a man. Men don’t get breast cancer,” he said.
A breast cancer diagnosis is rare for males, the CDC says that one out of every 100 breast cancer diagnosis in the U.S. is found in a man.
“One of the things that I try to tell all men is that all people are born with breast tissue. Not just women but men as well. And so we’re all susceptible to this disease,” he said.
Brian says as a guy, catching breast cancer early can be critical to survival.
“Women are urged to check their bodies. We don't have to submit to periodic mammograms. It’s simply not on the radar. It's not part of our health care routine. And so when something does develop, when the symptoms begin to develop, to manifest themselves, we very often ignore it because we just assume that it could be anything but breast cancer. And so, for those reasons and others, men are often diagnosed very late. So one of the things that I urge men to do is when you get out of the shower every morning, take a few seconds to just look to make sure everything is fine,” he said.
Brian went through an aggressive treatment plan to beat cancer. He was initially seeking treatment in Houston, but decided to stay home in Baton Rouge.
“I think it made the world of difference to me. Not only because they were proficient and highly skilled but because I had the benefit of having my personal support system here every day every minute of the day and every stage of the process,” he said.
He said that care, along with the love and support he received, helped save his life.
“Most of my memories really surround the support that I received from family members and friends. The, expressions of support, the prayer cards that I received, the numerous people who called me, texted me, I mean, men and women who I didn't believe I knew that well, contacted me to express their support, to assure me that they were thinking of me, to assure me that they were praying for me and all that means a lot as you go through this awful disease,” he said.
It's been 16 years since battling cancer, now Brian is living his best life as a survivor.
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