My boss Shannon grew up on the East coast but has lived in California for most of her life. She currently owns a dance studio and has owned it for about 20 years. Her dance studio has given me so many opportunities and I am forever thankful for her. Shannon was diagnosed with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the pandemic, Shannon wasn’t able to open the dance studio. She struggled to keep it in business during those years. During her battle with breast cancer, not only did she have to worry about the dance studio, but also family troubles and a severe injury. She even completed online school and received her masters degree while being treated. When Shannon successfully beat her cancer, she continued to work and teach. Last year I sat in her hotel room at a dance competition that we were attending. Since she was also my coach I thought that a couple of my teammates and I should go over to talk about our day. It was late in the evening so we wanted to meet in her room to catch up and plan dinner. We were all having a good time laughing and talking about what had happened that day. Overtime, I'm not sure how we got onto the topic of my boss, Shannon, but we started talking about her life. She had mentioned that she had breast cancer. This took me by surprise because I’ve known her all my life, so how could I have not known she had cancer? Shannon told me that when she was diagnosed with cancer, it was around the same time that everything was shut down from COVID-19. Meaning that I wouldn’t have been able to see her at the dance studio so I never would have known about her cancer. She talked about her experience and what it was like and all I could think of was how strong and brave she is. Her story inspired me to do more research about breast cancer.
What are some of the main reasons that women struggle when they get diagnosed with breast cancer? In an article posted by Northwestern Medicine, they explain that breast cancer can have overwhelming effects on a person's body. The author states, “Breast cancer survivors often experience pain, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, dermatology concerns, cardiovascular issues, low bone density and other health problems due to their cancer treatment.” This can make patients and survivors feel less than and bad about themselves. Women often struggle with accepting the fact that they have breast cancer. When I interviewed Shannon, she explained to me that she had second thoughts when going through treatment. She mentioned that her physical appearance would change because of the surgeries and that was something she would struggle with. I think it's important to know that some women hold back on treatment for many reasons. It’s typical for a woman to refuse cancer treatment because of how expensive it can be. I believe that survivors of breast cancer are extraordinarily brave and inspiring because it's a hard thing to accept and get through.
In the article Innovations in Breast Cancer Care by Jennifer Lesser, new advances in technology to help patients are being discussed. In the first paragraph of the article, Lesser states that physicians are taking time to personalize care to specific patients, in order to help with unnecessary treatments. This means that a breast cancer diagnosis no longer automatically requires chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. Dr. Serena Wong, a breast oncologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Middletown explains that they are trying to stray away from a “one-size-fits-all” type of treatment. She states, “Instead, we’re trying to personalize our approach by pinpointing a particular mutation that’s driving each individual patient’s cancer, and then providing a therapy that targets that specific driver. (Par. 2).” Doctors are using a patient's genes to analyze and figure out what kind of treatment would suit them best. Lesser also mentions that things like “nipple tattoos” and “breast filler” are becoming available, possibly for free, to help women achieve a confident look after treatment. These forms of aftercare are important to a survivor's health. Especially their mental health. Thankfully, most placers are able to give tattoos and fillers to survivors of breast cancer for free. Though survivors are still struggling with things like early menopause, loss of fertility, and unemployment. These are large concerns that doctors are trying to avoid by focusing on a patient's care during and after treatment. Aftercare is extremely important because it could be the leading reason a woman gets treatment in the first place. Doctors are hoping to see that patients will live a longer and healthier life thanks to this new personalized care. I think that these are great advancements and that hopefully we will start to see an incline in women's mental health surrounding breast cancer.
Shannon is an extremely busy person. Whenever I see her she is running around trying to complete tasks and stay on top of things. So when I called her and heard the familiar noises of the studio I was not surprised at all. She told me all about her experience with breast cancer but the thing that stood out the most to me was a specific moment at a doctor's appointment. Shannon wanted a real personal answer from the doctor so she asked them, “If I was your daughter, what would you tell me to do?” The doctor did not hesitate to answer honestly. They said, “If you want to live to see your grandkids, you need to get a double vasectomy.” This was the harsh reality of her breast cancer that left her heartbroken because the surgery would cause major damage to her body.
Breast Cancer can be caused by things like age, lifestyle, and especially genetics. The HER2 gene is extremely important in breast cancer. In an article published by Cleveland Clinic, the author talks about the responsibilities of the HER2 gene. This specific gene allows your body to produce proteins that regulate cell growth and division. If this gene becomes mutilated, excessive division and cell growth will start to occur and then can eventually lead to cancer. The most popular and famous types of cancer genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2. These genes are considered famous because they help repair DNA and prevent cells from growing and dividing uncontrollably. Everyone has two copies of these genes. If they work properly, they can help to prevent cancer. People with these gene mutations have a 7 in 10 chance of getting breast cancer. This is why it is important to start checkups and doctors appointments at an early age. If you are more prone to getting cancer because of your genes, early doctor visits may be able to stop you from getting cancer.
When I had my interview with Shannon, it was over the phone. When she answered I could hear the sound of the studio phone ringing, parents talking, and children laughing. I could tell she was working at the dance studio but she told me she wasn't busy and could talk for a while. She was sitting at the white desk in the lobby that had pink and white walls. I sat in my dining room and one of the most important questions I wanted to ask was about how treatment affected her physically and mentally. She told me that when she was diagnosed it was an extremely hard reality to face and that she couldn’t really believe that it was happening to her. She told me that once she got out of surgery she had suffered extreme neurological damage. Her nerves were severely damaged on the surrounding areas of her chest and armpits. She explained, “I was using a heating pad to ease some pain, when I went to shower I noticed my skin was terribly burned and blistered.” When she told me this, a wave of sympathy went through my body. I could not imagine having to suffer through surgery of breast cancer and then a major burn right after. She mentioned how she had to wait months before she could resume her care and that if the burn got infected she could have died. Because of this, my follow up question was, “What kept you motivated through treatment?”. She told me since she was diagnosed with breast cancer during the pandemic, everything was closed. Since she is a highschool teacher along with the owner of the dance studio, she did not have to go to school in person or work at the dance studio. This was great for her because she would be able to recover from her home. “I had a nurse coming to the house everyday which was really helpful.” While Shannon was going through her treatments and surgeries, she was also having to deal with family and figure out a way to pay the rent and keep the studio running. She told me that even though she suffered for several months, she managed to survive and complete online schooling and get her masters degree. When we ended the phone call I was filled with so many emotions. I felt bad that she had to go through such a thing but I was also inspired that she managed to be brave while suffering. I am extremely inspired by her story and I think she is a great example of women's empowerment.
Shannon is one of the people who I really try to look at and follow from example. She is extremely powerful and is never afraid to do anything. I don’t think there's ever been a time where I’ve seen her back down from a situation. Even though Shannon went through something traumatic, she is still strong and continues to do what she loves. She told me that she doesn’t regret her choices and wouldn’t change a thing about that past. This is such a powerful message to me. I believe that everything she has been through has made her even stronger.
Works Cited
“BRCA Gene Changes: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing Fact Sheet.” Fact Sheet - NCI, 19 July 2024, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheetLinks to an external site..
Cleveland Clinic. (2024, September 23). What to expect with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/setting-expectations-for-advanced-her2-low-breast-cancer?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=cc_cs_ag_161945290541&utm_content=cc_cs_cid_%7Badid%7D&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwjsi4BhB5EiwAFAL0YJYNi9nCh_ZSWaNkAHX_shrAIIT9jKioyEa-ISIi8BxCtegdgqvobRoC3nIQAvD_BwELinks to an external site.
Duffy, M. (2022, October). Living life after breast cancer. Northwestern Medicine. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/living-life-after-breast-cancer#:~:text=Breast%20cancer%20 survivors%20ten%20 experience,due%20to%20the%20 cancer%20 treatmentLinks to an external site..
Lesser, Jennifer. “Innovations in Breast Cancer Care.” New Jersey Business Magazine, 11 Oct. 2023, njbmagazine.com/monthly-articles/innovations-in-breast-cancer-care/Links to an external site..
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