My Breasts, My Cure-- Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

My Bosom Buddy

         I call the American Cancer Society for information materials on breast cancer, including information on financial assistance. They are very friendly, compassionate and helpful. They give me referrals on various groups and agencies that can help me cope with my cancer. Within two hours, I even get a call from a volunteer who recently was diagnosed with the same type of cancer that I have, and had gone through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

         Her name is Sophia Anderson, A 44-year old registered nurse, married with two children, and living in Evergreen, not too far from me. I feel so fortunate that she called me. She seems very knowledgeable and very caring. She understands what I am going through because she's been there.

         "Being a nurse, I might have had the advantages that you don't have now," she says. "I already knew a lot about breast cancer before I was diagnosed last year with an Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. My tumor was just a little over two centimeters, but was actually larger when it was removed. Not that it had grown that much since it was seen on mammography, but that the actual size of a tumor cannot really be determined until after it is removed. Like you, my doctors gave me the choices of a lumpectomy with an axillary node biopsy, or a mastectomy."

         "Which one did you choose?" I ask anxiously.

         "Neither one."

         "Excuse me? But you've had your surgery."

         "Yes. I found a doctor who offered me a third option, and I liked it because it's less traumatic, it lessens the danger of a lymphedema from the loss of lymph nodes, and most importantly, I get to keep my breast."

         Lymphedema. This is another condition I should research and try to understand more. "I like the sound of that already. What's it called?"

         "Lumpectomy with a sentinel node biopsy."

         I remember reading about this briefly and didn't quite understand it. Sophia explains it in plain, understandable language.

         "I was lucky to have found this doctor who is more progressive than the first one. A lumpectomy with a sentinel node biopsy removes the tumor with safe margin, and the first node in the armpit. He believes that if the cancer has invaded the lymphatic system, it can be detected through the first node. This procedure makes it unnecessary to bother any more nodes, which causes an incurable swelling in the arm."

         "Did they find cancer in the sentinel node?"

         "Unfortunately, yes. So I had to go through chemotherapy."

         "Otherwise just radiation?"

         "Yes. But don't worry about chemo and radiation. They are virtually painless and many women do not suffer the known and listed side effects. I had mild nausea the second and third day after chemo, and some fatigue. Other than that, I felt fine most of the time. If you are generally healthy, and don't suffer from any other serious ailments, you'll be fine."

         "I'm feeling much better already just having this conversation with you."

         "Good. Even though I was already knowledgeable about breast cancer before I was diagnosed, it was very comforting and helpful to talk to someone else who's been there. We're still friends today."

         I want to be Sophia's friend, but I don't want to sound presumptuous so I do not solicit her friendship. "That's wonderful. And you are very enlightening. I've learned so much from you in just a few minutes. I'm much more hopeful now about my survival."

         "You have to remember that the advancement in medical science has improved quite a bit in the last few years. Breast cancer is no longer a death sentence as it used to be regarded. With the 200,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer every year, the surgeries are becoming very routine. I am sure that you will be fine."

         "Glad to hear that," I say, thinking about the 40,000 women who die every year from breast cancer. I have a 20% chance of dying. But I have to think positive. I have an 80% chance of surviving. "So are you all done with your treatments?"

         "I take a hormone related drug called Tamoxifen, which acts like an anti-estrogen and is prescribed for women with positive hormone receptors. It stops the growth of cancer that might still be in the body."

         "Yes, I've heard about it," I say. I really must read up on the subject more. I ask for the name of her surgeon only to learn that he has moved to Washington D.C. to head the breast cancer institute there. She gives me several referrals as well as her telephone number and advises me to call her anytime I want.

         "There are also several support groups in the area. You should be getting a listing from the American Cancer Society of these groups. You should contact one of them."

         "I certainly will. Thanks for all the information. I can't thank you enough."

         "Glad to be of help."

         I can't believe that I've learned so much more from Sophia in a short time than I have from my conversations with the doctors. I realize, of course, that the doctors are too busy to spend enough time to educate their patients, which is too bad because they could really save us a lot of unnecessary trauma if they did. But most importantly, we could make much more informed decision on the course of treatment to take if they gave us all the details.

         After my conversation with Sophia, I start surfing the Internet on breast cancer. It's mind boggling how much information is on the information highway. It doesn't take long till I start feeling that my brain is getting overloaded with so much information. There is so much I have to learn, but it's not too late. I am determined that in no time, I will become a walking encyclopedia on breast cancer. I will read every available material I can find on the subject till I learn and understand how the cancer developed in my breast and how I can hopefully survive this disease and lead a normal life for many years thereafter.

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Next item:"My Breasts, My Cure -- Chapter Nine"