It’s been 3 weeks since I received the call that I had a complete response. What that means is when they removed the tumor and six lymph nodes, the lymph nodes were benign and the tumor had no traces of cancer! Due to the type of breast cancer I had, my doctors had to be aggressive and made the decision to treat me before surgery. According to BreastCancer.org, if Chemotherapy Before Surgery Destroys All Breast Cancer in Lymph Nodes, Survival Is Better, Especially for Women With HER2-Positive Disease. This type of treatment is called neoadjuvant treatments. These treatments are given to weaken and destroy breast cancer before surgery. Most neoadjuvant treatments involve one or more chemotherapy medicines. At first I felt like “…please just take it out..”, but now I understand the purpose and I am thankful! If you are contemplating your treatment plan or want to know options, you can visit the website breastcancer.org and find out more information.
When I first got the news that I was a rare case, a complete response, I did not know how to feel. Oddly, I heard what my surgeon said and she explained what that meant, but I still wanted to hear…CANcer free! At my follow-up appointment, I did hear those words and felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. I came home and texted and called and let everyone know I was CANcer free. I was all ready to blog and then this weight I thought was lifted fell right back on my shoulders. What surprised me was that it wasn’t because I was worried about me, I began thinking of the countless women that continue to fight what seems to be an insurmountable fight. There are so many women (1 in 8) that have breast cancer. The most unfortunate aspect, is a lot of these women do not have access to proper healthcare due to lack of insurance. I will not use this forum to debate the healthcare issue, however, it is a real problem when a woman has to decide if they should see a doctor for a lump they found or “hope” that it’s nothing or be in denial. Women should not have to settle for a mammogram and not elect to get the ultrasound or biopsy due to financial obligations. I have insurance and if it were not for my biopsy, icy tumor would not have been seen. The mammogram was not enough! Women with dense or fibrocystic breast may not be able to see the mass clearly. This could cause misdiagnosis or no diagnosis at all. When I got that dreadful phone call on Friday, October 14, 2016, I was told my I had stage 3 breast CANcer that was very aggressive…72% survival rate if I was lucky! Thank God my doctors were aggressive with my case and evaluated it with a team a second time to determine stage 2a. Again, I have insurance. My heart continues to be heavy for those who do not have insurance.
As I continue with post surgery treatment, radiation for 33 days and tamoxifen for 5 years, I would like to encourage you, those with cancer, without cancer, and/or if you know someone with cancer, don’t be afraid to ask questions, read and research, and do all you can to be proactive in your life of health.
My CANcer Wisdom to you: Know and understand treatment options and educate yourself on the outcomes!
My CANcer Chronicles Blog Posts 