"If I Hadn't Gone to Planned Parenthood..."

If Colleen hadn't gone to Planned Parenthood, she would not have gotten her diagnosis of stage two breast cancer. She might not even be here today.

"Eleven years ago, when I was 27, I was in between jobs with no health insurance. That’s when I discovered a lump in my breast through a self-exam. I didn’t have enough savings to go to a private doctor, so I figured I would just ignore the lump. I had no family history of breast cancer, and I hoped it was nothing important to worry about. I was really close to just ignoring it.

But then I remembered about Planned Parenthood. I called my local health center and went in for an appointment. I was diagnosed with invasive stage 2 breast cancer. I was surprised to hear the news, but Planned Parenthood was reassuring. They told me, “Don’t worry; you have options.” I went through chemotherapy, radiation, a lumpectomy, and five years of hormone treatment.

If I hadn’t gone to Planned Parenthood, I would not have gotten my diagnosis. I might not even be here today."

-Colleen

Planned Parenthood provides free screening and low-cost health care services for women with Breast Cancer. Wisconsin diagnose 4,730 women with invasive breast cancer a year. 15 WI counties have rates significantly higher than the national average. So, it's extremely necessary that our locations prove this service.