Susans' Hope, Las Vegas, NV
My Story
Susan’s Hope
My name is Susan. Over Labor Day weekend 2012, I found a lump in my right breast. Even though I had no family history of breast cancer, I knew deep in my heart it was cancer. I had complained for a long time about pain in my right breast and was told I just had fibroids, to cut down on my caffeine and stop smoking.
I called my doctor first thing Tuesday morning and went to see him that day. Unfortunately I had skipped my mammogram in 2011 because I was too busy! A few days later I went for a sonogram and biopsy. The biopsy was positive for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ or DCIS. I had a very aggressive form of cancer and it moved quickly to my mammary chain and lymph nodes. I received six treatments of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (three different types of chemo). Luckily the chemo killed the cancer in the mammary chain, but it did not appreciably shrink the size of my tumor. A month after I finished my neoadjuvant chemotherapy, I was scheduled for a bilateral radical mastectomy. I opted to have both breasts removed because of the aggressive nature of my cancer and the fact that it had invaded the mammary chain. I had an excellent surgeon at City of Hope in Duarte, California. Currently and unbelievably to me and my family, this is considered outpatient or day surgery. I had both breasts and nine lymph nodes removed. While the PET scan following my chemotherapy did not show any lymph node involvement, my surgeon told me because of the very aggressive nature of my cancer and because he’d “been doing this a long time,” he recommended removing the lymph nodes under my right arm. Removing the lymph nodes meant battling lymphedema (localized fluid retention and tissue swelling brought about by removal of the lymph nodes) for the rest of my life. Three of the nine lymph nodes were, in fact, positive for cancer. The surgeon and my oncologist were stunned by the size of my tumor, especially after six chemo treatments. The tumor measured 7.5 x 5.2 x 3.2cm! I was then scheduled for seven weeks of radiation, five days a week to hopefully kill any remaining cancer cells.
I had my first post op CT scan almost one year to the date after I found the tumor and thankfully, there were NO signs of cancer. I will have these CT scans every three months for the next year; and planning positively, every six months for another year and then annually thereafter. I am taking and will continue to take a chemo pill daily for ten years.
The most important lessons one can take from my experience are: DO NOT postpone your mammogram and be your own advocate. If you have dense, lumpy, breasts or pain, insist on a sonogram. If I had insisted on a sonogram in 2010, it might have detected the tumor. Cancer, any cancer, is a devastatingly life altering diagnosis. My hope is to “beat it” of course, but also to raise awareness of being one’s own health care advocate as well as the value of a strong, loving support network.
When I had to give up needlepoint because of diminished use of my right arm following the removal of the lymph nodes, I started making awareness, prayer bracelets for all types of cancer and other life altering diseases. To me they are a constant reminder of “hope” - for patients, their families and friends.
When a friend was diagnosed with thyroid cancer I gave her a thyroid cancer awareness bracelet to help her through her treatments. My family had given me a breast cancer awareness bracelet and it means the world to me. My friend was so touched by the bracelet I decided to make her 9 year old daughter a special bracelet. I used the thyroid cancer colors, 3 angel charms, 2 Mom charms and a prayer box charm. I told her to write down a secret wish, dream or prayer and place it in the box. It was after receiving the responses that I started making custom cancer awareness bracelets for friends, family and survivors.
Without the love, prayers, and support of my family and friends the journey I have been on would have been much, much more difficult. I love you all and cannot possibly thank you enough.
Susan
