With You All The Way - Diana: Patient Stories

Beating breast cancer surrounded by love, support and top-notch care

About one in eight women will battle breast cancer

But many more lives are affected. Loved ones also share in this difficult, life-changing experience. And the support they offer during this journey can make all the difference.

Just ask Burien resident Diana Dena and her husband, Andrew. When their lives were affected by a breast cancer diagnosis, they turned to our area’s best care at Highline Cancer Center.

Reminder call

A reminder phone call that it was time for her annual mammogram prompted Diana to perform an impromptu self-exam. She felt a hard lump and was immediately concerned — this lump felt different from benign lumps that had been discovered in the past. “Before I ever went in, I knew. Before the ultrasound and biopsy I just knew,” she said. “I had cancer.”

Show of support

As Diana faced surgery and chemotherapy she found support at every turn. “My husband was faithfully supportive, just a wonderful caregiver,” she said. Her daughters, Melissa and Rebecca, and two of Diana’s sisters also assisted in caring for her and taking her to appointments when Andrew had to work. Her 86-year-old mother and two other sisters shaved their heads when Diana’s own hair began to fall out.

Their church family also showed up. Between meals that arrived each evening and greeting cards that came every day, the outpouring of love is something that Diana says touched her deeply and helped her to maintain a positive outlook.

The caring and supportive nature of the entire Highline team is something that struck Andrew. It was a stark contrast to their experience at a different hospital where Diana began treatment before transferring to Highline. “To this day, if we have questions, we call and we get a good response. We are very, very thankful that Diana received her treatment at Highline,” he said. “We believe through prayer God directed our path to Highline Oncology, Dr. Xie and the nursing staff.”

We’re in it together

The experts at Highline Cancer Center are here to provide you with clear information and to address any concerns. Our area’s expert team of oncology doctors, nurses and staff coordinate care to make sure everyone is on the same page. This means that starting from the moment we first see you and all the way through your treatment program, you get high-quality, compassionate care.