{"id":7691,"date":"2026-01-08T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7691"},"modified":"2026-01-08T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:30:00","slug":"first-mammogram-proves-life-saving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7691","title":{"rendered":"First mammogram proves life saving"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2026-01-08T15:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

Schedule your mammogram today \u00a0<\/h2>\n

Army Veteran Ann Hoffman received her first mammogram<\/a> out of necessity, not choice. When her husband, a Navy and Army National Guard Veteran, went on Medicare and Tricare for Life in 2010, his insurance required her to get a mammogram.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was 53 at the time and had never received one. Like many, she assumed she didn\u2019t need it. Nothing was wrong. She smoked, but no signs of cancer. No lumps. No symptoms. Nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She surrendered for the betterment of insurance coverage\u2026 and in response to her husband\u2019s and daughter\u2019s pestering. Thinking it would be a quick, easy trip to the doctor\u2019s office, the results showed she had breast cancer in two spots.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hoffman had a lumpectomy, and a second surgery helped to increase the margins around the cancer spots in hopes of avoiding future issues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The power of knowing<\/h2>\n

Although a scary diagnosis, Hoffman says she never actually felt she had cancer, which undoubtedly was impacted by not requiring chemotherapy or radiation for treatment. And, to top things off, another bonus was her newly found disgust for smoking.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d smoked for 41 years, but we went out to breakfast shortly after my first surgery,\u201d she shared. \u201cAs we walked in, a smoker had just put out a cigarette, and it made me nauseous. I never smoked again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now 68, she continues to battle chronic health issues from chemical exposure while serving at Fort McClellan, Ala. But she\u2019s been cancer and cigarette free for 14 years. She has one daughter and will celebrate her 40th wedding anniversary in February. \u00a0<\/p>\n

And she\u2019s still getting that annual mammogram.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m lucky they found cancer the first time because I probably would have never gone back for another mammogram, thinking I was right and didn\u2019t need it. I never felt like I had cancer; I always felt everything was going to be fine, and it was, and still is. The only thing I have to do is get a mammogram annually, which I\u2019m happy to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too late to apply for VA health care you\u2019ve earned. If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who has not yet applied for their VA health care benefits, learn how to\u00a0get started<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

This article was originally published on the VA Madison Health care System site <\/a>and has been edited for style and clarity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Army Veteran Ann Hoffman\u2019s first mammogram unexpectedly revealed breast cancer, leading to life-saving treatment and a commitment to annual screenings. Getting a mammogram through VA is easy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nFirst mammogram proves life saving - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Army Veteran Ann Hoffman\u2019s first mammogram unexpectedly revealed breast cancer, leading to life-saving treatment and a commitment to annual screenings. 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