I found the lump. I was not looking for it but I knew something was wrong with my breast. Over a period of several months, I noticed subtle changes in the shape of my breast. At times it felt heavy and ached. Then an obvious lump appeared. I ignored it at first, convinced myself it was a cyst and would go away. It didn't go away. I had never had a mammogram, which may seem remiss for an obstetrician gynecologist (I'll save that discussion for another time). Even with what turned out to be a 4.7 cm tumor, my mammogram was read as essentially normal, just dense breasts. The biopsy, done several days later, was not normal. It was cancer.

How could this be? I certainly never expected it would happen to me. But it did. While I will always wish that this had never happened, my diagnosis has given me a new perspective. I have been able to look at my lifestyle, make some necessary changes, and reexamine my role as a physician. I now feel healthier and happier than I did before I was diagnosed.

Since my diagnosis I have carefully considered my lifestyle and although it was mostly healthy, there were, and still are, things that I can do better.

I have always enjoyed exercise. I swim, bike and run. I ski both downhill and cross country. Now I also do pilates and yoga, and I recently added strength training to my various aerobic activities.

A nutritious diet and regular exercise are both big contributors to a healthy lifestyle. I thought my diet was healthy (with an occasional indulgence) but when I really looked at it, I realized I did not eat enough fruits and vegetables. Most meals focused on meat: beef, pork or chicken. Now, I still eat meat but I try to include fish once or twice a week and at least once a week go meatless.

Also, I try to make fruits and vegetables the focus of my meal with meat or fish as more of a side dish, instead of the other way around. 

Most days I start with a smoothie. I don't follow any particular recipe, just throw in what we have, which includes bananas, apples, oranges, all kinds of berries, mango, pineapple, carrots, kale, spinach, celery, and beets. It needs some liquid and that can come from tart cherry juice, coconut water, almond milk or orange juice. Often I add ground flax seeds or chia seeds for extra protein. It is a great way to start the day. 

The changes I made to my diet and exercise routine were relatively minor, more of a shift in focus.

For me, the biggest adjustment was reducing stress and anxiety. Being an OB/GYN is as challenging as it is rewarding — and it is also very stressful. 

I worked hard to become a doctor and then an OB/GYN, but I knew that I could not go back to the job I had before I was diagnosed. Making a real change meant walking away from years of school and training, not to mention a lucrative salary. But I needed to do it for my own health. And so I quit my job.

Today I am healthier and happier than I have been in several years. I finished treatment, which included mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

In November 2013. I remain passionate about women's health and healthcare. Nothing has educated me more than my own health crisis. My experience as a patient is now an integral part of my role as a physician. I consider my experience to be real life education on health and wellness. I now know not only how to be healthy, but genuinely well.

In February 2013, Kate Killoran was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she has been educating herself and anyone who will listen about strategies for better health and wellness. She is now seeing gynecology, women's health and wellness patients at Midcoast Medicine in Rockport.