Having breast cancer is not an automatic death sentence, but it does put a person on an emotional roller coaster. I speak from personal experience.

In 2001, I went for my standard mammogram. A suspicious area reveal the same mass as last year’s test, so another ultrasound was ordered. This time the doctor advised me to schedule a biopsy even though I felt well and had no pain. I was positive the doctor was wrong, but I made the appointment anyway.

At work, I scheduled time off, including an extra day so I could go to the last Diamondback baseball home game to see if they would advance to the playoffs. I was positive the test would reveal I was all right, without cancer.

Back at work, I got the test results of an infiltrating carcinoma stage 2/3 via a phone call. I turned so white, my co-workers wanted to know if I was all right. I mumbled I was okay and gave my primary care doctor the name of the surgeon I preferred for treatment. This surgeon had removed a lump in 1998 and tests showed it was benign and I had full confidence in his skills. Later, I realized this was the beginning of denial, a common experience.

My surgeon went over the potential treatment, but I knew I really had only one option if I truly wanted to get well, a modified mastectomy. Fear now set in.

At first, I refused to talk about my disease or try to put a support group in place. I was going to “tough it out.” Finally I realized I needed an outlet and began gathering my personal cheerleaders from family, friends, church members, and e-mail contacts I had never met. This was the beginning of reality for my life as it was and dealing with my emotions instead of stuffing them inside. On the third day after I received my cancer news, the beginning of my healing began. My mantra became, “this is only a bump in the road.”

I even reached out. I went to a nurse friend and had her talk to me about my upcoming surgery. A mastectomy was similar to peeling an onion. Visualizing a peeling onion made me laugh. It was a good way to combat nerves. I felt ready. Surgery was scheduled for October 30, 2001.

Back home after surgery, I healed. My husband even allowed me complete control of the TV remote. Wow! I also started following my dream of becoming a writer. I kept notes of my feelings, which eventually led to a 22-page booklet titled, Breast Cancer Survivor Year One published by Elan Press. I sold it for cost ($5) to my friends or to people who needed help with cancer, either for themselves, or for their friends or family.

My five years of follow-up treatment (taking tamoxifen only, no chemo or radiation) have passed and my life goes on with writing dominating my life. Cancer became the turning point for me to follow my lifetime dream.

Points to understand to help you recover:
1. Support group are the first line of defense. They can be found online and locally.
2. Make sure you have developed relaxation techniques for yourself. Choose something easy to do that really takes tension away for you. Some suggestions are watching funny movies at home, listening to music, or reading a book.
3. Understand what drain tubes are, why you need them, and most of all, make sure someone shows you how to keep them in place by fastening the tubes to a shirt or a nightgown. Your doctor can explain all about drain tubes and some hospital nurses can usually show you how to fasten those tubes to a shirt.
4. Take lots of time to decide to wear prosthesis (fake boob) or to have reconstruction if you have a mastectomy.
5. Have someone show you what prosthesis looks like (check with a cancer support group or someone who has gone through this process; hospitals often can help you make this connection). Hold it to see how it feels and ask about the type of special bra you will need to wear if you choose to wear a prosthesis.
6. Ask about buying special bras for prosthesis (usually checking with your insurance gains this information, although cancer support groups and hospital cancer help can give you information to get you started) and know what a fitter does to ensure you are fitted correctly for these items.
7. See if you can find someone who sews to see if they can convert the bra portion of a regular swimsuit with pockets to hold a prosthesis. That’s cheaper than buying a commercial suit at $100! I now take the soft, stretchy cloth covering for my prosthesis and pin it to the swimsuit bra portion to hold my prosthesis in place.
8. Make sure you understand your doctor’s instructions for caring for your arm if lymph nodes are removed to check for cancer cells. Sometimes you may be limited for lifting a number of pounds, and after a healing time, you will need to do exercise to ensure you have mobility for future arm use.