Mercy Medical Center North Iowa | Life & Health | Fall 2018

Inside 4 Hospice care boosts quality of life 6 Echocardiograms are now available in Northwood From the moment she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Jackie Pieper felt lucky. Not dismayed. Not afraid. Jackie was grateful. Her story may sound a little unusual, but it will likely grow more common as 3-D mammography becomes more prominent. Opting for accuracy Pieper didn’t hesitate when given the choice to have a 3-D mammogram. She’d had one scare decades ago that turned out to be nothing. Since that time, Pieper has been dedicated to regular screenings. A better, more accurate test? Once she knew Medicare would cover it, the choice was a no-brainer for the 68-year-old Clear Lake resident. A few days later, she got the call that they wanted to take a closer look at something. Unfazed, Pieper put it off until after her vacation. She got back the first week of March, when a needle core biopsy confirmed the area of concern was cancerous. C E N T E R MEDICAL NORTH IOWA A member of Mercy Health Network Mercy YOUR GUIDE TO HEALTHY LIVING FALL 2018 ‘I felt blessed’ —Continued on Page 2 Jackie Pieper is grateful that her 3-D mammogram found her cancer so early—when it was easier to treat.