Por Brookshire McDonald
After the death of my husband in 1996, I waited the suggested year and moved from Mandeville, Louisiana to my birth city of Raleigh, N.C. Two of my five children had asked if they could get married, and I replied, “If I’m not moving the week of your weddings!”
Back in Raleigh, I fell from a ladder while hanging wreaths outside on my windows. Who would have thought my rescuer would be an exterminator who kills bugs and fleas! I had emergency surgery on my shattered knee, followed by a second and third surgery, a blood clot, and a month in a nursing home followed by six months of live-in care at home.
I was due for a mammogram, but was told it could not be performed in a wheelchair (which was false). When I finally could stand, I had my mammogram and was called to their office during their lunch hour. The nurse, seeing me on crutches, blurted, “Oh, you have that, too!” The doctor verified I had breast cancer. I was denied a double mastectomy, and instead had a single mastectomy. My surgeon informed me if my lymph nodes were clear, I would not need chemo. My oncologist did order chemo after seeing the pathology report. The pathology report showed that my cancer was estrogen negative, progesterone positive, and HER2/neu positive. I always thought he prescribed chemo because of that, but I never really knew.
Two years to the day later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the remaining breast. I changed surgeons and had my second mastectomy, followed by treatment with an aromatase inhibitor for five years. As a widow, I hated to part with my 36 DD, which I thought was my only asset! I later found many new assets!
Experiencing humor along my journey was MOST helpful! Examples:
Mi nieto le gritó a su hermano mayor después de ver mi peluca en mi mano: "¡Ven rápido, GeeGee acaba de quitarse el cabello de la parte superior de la cabeza!"
Hacer un agujero en mi drenaje postoperatorio mientras lo sujetaba a mi bata y tener que llamar a mi médico a las 10:30 p.m., ¡recibiendo instrucciones para PEGARLO con cinta adhesiva!
Otra sobreviviente dijo que no quería implantes porque preferiría poner su prótesis en el estante por la noche y optar por un tamaño diferente cada mañana.
I had two mastectomies, reconstruction, areola tattoos, a hysterectomy, hip replacement, and three surgeries on my knee: 10 surgeries in nine years.
Keep moving forward and explore new interests. Mine were performing hearing tests on newborns, signing (not singing!) the national anthem at the Miracle League baseball games for special needs children, and involvement with adult day care. Find humor on your journey, be your own advocate and follow your heart.
¡El 8 de agosto de 2024 celebraré 20 años de Thrivership!
P.S. AFTER being diagnosed, I discovered I had five aunts who had breast cancer, but the “C” word was never said back then. My cancers were two primaries, and my middle daughter was diagnosed during the Covid-19 pandemic with lobular breast cancer. Each of us was negative for the BRCA gene mutation.
Amo a mis hermanas que he ganado (a pesar de que mi madre dijo que nunca tendría una hermana) y les deseo lo mejor a cada una de ustedes.
Amor y abrazos,
Tu Santo Patrón
Más información:
En el Podcast: Conversaciones sobre el cáncer de mama
Conceder deseos trae alegría con Elesha Snyder y Jan Hillman
Comparta su historia, poesía o arte:
Sobrevivir al cáncer de mama.org Recursos y apoyo: