My life changed forever the day I received the phone call that everyone dreads. Early one morning in March 2015, my surgeon called to tell me the results of my most recent biopsy. The bump, which was probably just a benign cyst, turned out to be cancerous. My surgeon continued to speak to me to explain the diagnosis to me in more detail. However, the only thing I heard was that I was suffering from cancer. I felt like my world was falling apart.
How could this have happened to me? I was only 37 years old. I had a loving husband and three little girls. I considered my lifestyle to be relatively healthy. Life had barely started for us. Unfortunately, I had to temporarily set aside my teaching career. MRI scans, CT scans, bone scans, verification biopsies, and appointments at the Saskatoon Cancer Center and the Breast Health Center now filled my life.
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At the time of my diagnosis, I had no idea that there were different subtypes of breast cancer.
Mine was triple positive, that is, positive estrogen receptors, positive progesterone receptors, and HER2 positive.
The term HER2 refers to the HER2 protein (human epidermal growth factor 2 receptor) which is overexpressed in cancer cells. This type of breast cancer tends to grow and spread faster than others. It is particularly aggressive and requires additional treatments.
My treatment team opted for neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the hope of reducing the size of the tumor in the first place. I would then have a double mastectomy, 17 Herceptin infusions, and then at least five years of hormone therapy.
This dosing schedule was dizzying for me and my husband, but we were ready to do whatever it took so that I could grow old alongside him and watch our children grow.
While I was undergoing chemotherapy and recovering from my surgery, our family, friends, and members of the small community of Wakaw, Saskatchewan mobilized. People brought meals and gifts, cleaned the house, and watched over our children. Some even organized a fundraiser to compensate for our loss of income and travel expenses to get to the place of treatment. We have never felt so loved.
The treatment was such a horrible physical and psychological experience for me that I did not wish it on my worst enemy. During the second half of the chemotherapy treatment, I received a drug called docetaxel. The simple fact of typing this word gives me chills in the back. Docetaxel affects bones and muscles. I moved around the house as if I was 80 years old. Often I would lie on the couch and not move a bit because I was in pain. But I never gave up; I was determined to remain optimistic.
October 2015 marked the end of chemotherapy. A large family celebration was organized - small pink cakes included - in the chemotherapy room.
We had only one other obstacle to overcome: the bilateral mastectomy. My breasts were extremely dense and my medical team strongly recommended that I consider having them removed. In many ways, the surgery was easier than the chemotherapy.
In December, we received the important news that we expected. My post-operation pathology report stated that the response to chemotherapy seemed complete and that no trace of cancer could be detected in my lymph nodes! My diagnosis went from stage II breast cancer to stage I.
July 18, 2016, I sat in the chemotherapy chair for the 17th and final Herceptin infusion. There are no words to say how grateful I am not only for inventing such a drug but also for living in Canada where I had access to it. We hope this miracle drug saved my life.
When I think back to this experience, I often feel like I was living the life of another person. It's been a year now since I finished the treatments and all my follow-up appointments in oncology and surgery went well.
I remain optimistic. I live in the present and I try to enjoy life as much as possible. I had the chance to visit Banff, Edmonton, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Disneyland, and the Bahamas last year.
One word comes to mind when I think of my eighteen months of treatment: 'survivor'. I went through this ordeal! I did it! It made me a better, more patient, and kinder person who enjoys life more.
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