Casey Hoogeveen – A Six Year Survivor
Emigrated to Canada from the Netherlands in 1953,
Married to Gwen,
2 Children Douglas and Anita,
3 Grandchildren, Dustin, Tammera and Patrick,
2 Great Grandchildren, Cayden and Max.
Lived in London Ontario from 1953 to 1969.
Rexdale and Brampton from 1969 to 1976,
Rothesay from 1976 to this date.
Working life was successful, as an 18 year old and not as educated as perhaps should have been, I started in the Dairy industry doing manual labour and thru hard work and educating myself retired as a Vice President of a large Dairy company.
It was spring 2004 and Gwen, my wife and I had planned 2 back to back cruises in Europe. We flew to Venice where we spent several days, staying in a very nice small hotel. While there we encountered some hot weather and had the windows open at night, and were bitten by mosquitoes.
On the first cruise travelling to Harwich England I had occasion to be dressed up in my Tuxedo and wearing a Tuxedo shirt, upon checking afterwards we found very small droplets of blood on the shirt and having been bitten by the mosquitoes we presumed the blood to be from the bites that I had itched.
The second time around and again, this time we checked and found that there were minute droplets of blood that came out of my right nipple.
After finishing our second cruise from Dover England to Copenhagen Denmark, visiting the Norwegian fjords we flew home and immediately the next day saw my doctor, who after checking referred me to a surgeon.
The surgeon saw me the next week and sent me for Mammogram, Blood tests, nothing showed up, then a biopsy and again nothing showed up. After a second Biopsy he suggested that he wished to confer with other doctors and eventually the verdict was that I had Breast cancer, in my case Ductil Carcinoma in situ.
As a male I never expected to be afflicted by Breast Cancer
When I was told that I had to have a mastectomy, I readily agreed to have it done as soon as possible.
8 Days later I had day surgery. I was told that NO additional procedures were necessary.
I had great care at home from the Victoria Order of Nurses, not just with the dressings etc, but also with an opportunity to to have assistance with the mental issues that may arise, eventually I was discharged by my doctor and passed on to nurses at our local hospital who deal with everyone that is post operative.
I have been seeing the surgeon every 6 months and now that has changed to every 12 months.
I continue to check my breasts every month for changes or lumps and my message to everyone is to do this, also MEN!!!!
My life changed for the better, I became active with a local Breast Cancer survivor Dragon Boat team, Breasts Ahoy and now at age 74, am fit and my outlook on life is very positive.
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