How a Routine Pre-Op Mammogram Saved a Young Middletown Mother’s Life

This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

Jenna Werner, a 38-year-old registered dietitian and mother of three, decided it was finally time to prioritize herself. After six consecutive years of pregnancy and nursing, she scheduled a well-deserved breast augmentation. But a cautious recommendation from her plastic surgeon, Fares Samra, M.D. ultimately saved her life.

Subscribe

Dr. Samra suggested Jenna get a baseline mammogram before the procedure. As a highly health-conscious woman with zero family history of the disease, Jenna wasn't worried. However, her pre-operative scan at the Women's Center at Riverview Medical Center revealed a cluster of tiny calcifications.Harriet Borofsky, M.D., medical director of Breast Imaging at Riverview Medical Center and Bayshore Medical Center, closely examined the scans. Shortly after, Jenna received devastating news: she had Stage 0, noninvasive breast cancer.

Jenna's world flipped upside down, but her medical team was there to catch her. Dr. Borofsky reassured her that it was highly treatable, and she was quickly connected with Roshani Patel, M.D., FACS, medical director for Breast Surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

With Dr. Patel's compassionate guidance, and the sudden discovery of a genetic mutation that elevated her risk, Jenna made the courageous choice to undergo a double mastectomy. From Dr. Patel's advanced, nipple-sparing surgical techniques to seamless reconstruction by Dr. Samra three months later, Jenna received all of her life-saving care within Hackensack Meridian Health.

Jenna's unexpected diagnosis also protected her family. Because of her genetic testing, her mother and cousins got tested and discovered they also carry the CHEK2 mutation.

Today, Jenna is cancer-free, and sharing her story. Click to know what is the vital, urgent message she wants every woman to hear and read her full story.

This post is an advertorial piece contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local brand partner. To learn more, click here.