Answers From Those Who’ve Survived

by Elysian Magazine September 30, 2022

Best advice?

Go into treatment with a sense of gratitude.
Take care of yourself and surround yourself with people you love.
Don’t put off seeing a doctor if you feel a lump, and do not be afraid as there are so many options in the medical world today to help you.
Have your mammogram and don’t miss it.

Jon Renau wigs. I found the human hair wigs to be very natural in appearance and more comfortable to wear.
I had a wig that looked very much like my own hair. I did not want my cancer to always be the center of conversation, and many folks did not even know. Life went on as normal as I could make it.
I did not need a wig.
Becky’s Place at Lexington Medical

I had a lumpectomy and did not need to have reconstructive surgery.
My cancer was in the early stage so I just had a lumpectomy. My breasts are small so the impact was minimal. I loved my body the way it was and quite frankly did not want to mess with it more than necessary.
I did it for myself. I wanted to move forward like I never had breast cancer and having reconstruction made me feel like my old self.
I was diagnosed young, and I wanted to make sure I could be put back together again – in a way that looked good aesthetically.

The chemo drugs Adriamycin and Cytoxan were particularly difficult for me because I was not able to take the follow-on white cell boosting drugs Neupogen and Neulasta due to liver toxicity complications.
The chemo was not fun at the time, but many improvements have been made since then and the impact is not so debilitating.
Tamoxifen made me feel like I was always having hot flashes; eventually I went off it after four years.
Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug.

My lowest point came in the winter of 2022 when I needed to be hospitalized for neutropenic fevers on two occasions and hospital beds were scarce due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Having no natural immunity and rampant COVID around me was very stressful.
I cannot say that I had much despair, and my faith gave me great strength and acceptance. My biggest concern was for my daughter, who was only 6 at the time. I wanted her to not despair and know that I would be OK.
I never felt despair. I always believed I would be fine and I was. Positive thoughts are important.
My lowest moment was when they put me in the PET scanner, before I started the treatment. That was hell. They put you in that long tube, and your whole life flashes before your eyes. I was seeing my children at these major milestones with me not there.

- God. I have had so many God-winks throughout this entire process that I could give an entire speech at a church about it. There is no doubt in my mind that God has stood by myself this entire time… It has increased my faith tremendously.
- Outside of my faith in God, my greatest source of strength and hope came from the amazing care team I had at the Cleveland Clinic.
- I have a strong faith and turned toward my Christian support group and my prayer life. This was so important for me and remains so today!
- Learning about all the advancements made in the treatment of breast cancer while I was being treated.