War on Breast Cancer: One Woman's Journey with Breast Cancer

By Anaroma B. Romano

Self-breast examination and annual mammography is important in detecting breast cancer in its early stage.

Reporting any abnormalities of the breast early and getting treatment early is the key to survival.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 12, 2007
• ISBN: 9781465323309

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Copyright © 2007 by Anaroma B. Romano.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Dedication

FORWARD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

MY JOURNEY WITH BREAST CANCER

A SECOND OPINION

A THIRD OPINION

MY STRONG FAITH IN GOD

MY TESTIMONY

BREAST SURGERY

RADIATION THERAPY

RESEARCH ON BREAST CANCER AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO

BREAST TRAUMA AND BREAST TISSUE NECROSIS

BREAST RECONSTRUCTION AFTER PARTIAL MASTECTOMY

A LOVE AFFAIR BROKEN

BY BREAST CANCER

STEREOTACTIC IMAGING

FINE NEEDLE BIOPSY & CORE NEEDLE BIOPSY

RECURRENCE OF BREAST CANCER

LYMPHOSCINTIGRAPHY

DEPRESSION AND BREAST CANCER

MY FOURTH SURGERY FOR

BREAST CANCER

POST OPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS

REMOVAL OF THE SALINE IMPLANT

LYMPHEDEMA AFTER PARTIAL MASTECTOMY, RADIATIONA THEREAPY, TOTAL MASTECTOMY AND BREAST REDUCTION

MIND OVER BODY

EVERYBODY NEED SOMEBODY

BONE SCAN

COLONOSCOPY AND

ABDOMINAL SCAN

FIFTH SURGERY: REPAIR OF

RIGHT CHEST SCAR TISSUE

MEDERMA AND BIODERMIS

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A

BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR

HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS

REHABILITATION PROGRAM

CONCLUSION

APPENDIX

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF BREAST CANCER

SELF BREAST EXAMINATION

RISK FACTORS FOR BREAST CANCER

DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES FOR IDENTIFYING BREAST CANCER

THROUGH THE WRINGER

MOVING ONWARD NO REGRETS

GLOSSARY

REFERENCES

INTERNET REFERENCES

RESOURCES

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all women, young and old, and also men, even though breast cancer is rare in men. My hope is that all people will learn the warning signs and symptoms of breast cancer and take the necessary steps to seek medical attention expeditiously to detect it in its early stage, access medical care early to receive treatment early for successful outcomes.

It is important to support cancer research not only to find cures for all types of cancers, but to eradicate all types of cancers.

FORWARD

One Woman’s journey with breast cancer target health care providers and the public in general. It is an excellent resource for all disciplines, the medical and nursing communities, surgeons, sociologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, oncologists and medical technologists.

A book of this caliber gives an in-depth insight into the need for more research on methods for cancer prevention, cure for breast cancer, individualized health care that addresses the whole person rather than the sum of his/her parts, breast trauma and its relationship to breast cancer. Anything that affects one part of a person, affects the whole person, including the physical, historical, emotional, social, socioeconomic, financial and spirituality of the person.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A warm and grateful thank you to all my support systems who traveled the journey of breast cancer with me. First and foremost God, my family, friends, pastors, doctors, nurses, allied health care professionals and all other support systems that made my journey with breast cancer less challenging and stressful. I could not have traveled this journey without your caring, guidance, teachings, love, compassion and affection. I could not have written this book without your support.

MY JOURNEY WITH BREAST CANCER

It was a beautiful Tuesday afternoon, the sun was shinning, and it must have been about 85 degrees farenheight. There was a cool sea breeze blowing. The skies were clear blue with few white clouds slowly drifting in space. Sea gulls in flight darted from the skies into the blue pristine ocean water to engulf sprats (small fishes) for the day’s meal. The trees, lawns and rolling hills looked especially green and more luscious than I had ever seen them before. There were beautiful flowers (hibiscus of every color, hydrandrias, crotons, staghorn ferns, globular and long cactus, jade vines, chrysanthemums, lilies and more) growing everywhere. I watched hummingbirds flew from tree to tree, buzzing, pausing and dancing in the air. Tamed iguanas moved about very slowly, stopping and looking around at times, sometimes looking directly at me and making gestures with their heads. I imagine they were saying, welcome home young lady. Indeed this was home. It was especially good to be back home with my family and friends.

I had just arrived from California where I lived and worked for many years. I had returned home to see my family and friends and to search for job possibilities in my field. I wanted to move back home for good. I did find employment in a hospital.

I was anxious and wanted to go out and have some fun with my friends. I wanted to go shopping and observe all the changes that were occurring on beautiful Gorgan Island. Over the years Gorgan Island had become a tourist attraction because of its remoteness, beautiful beaches, friendly people, forestry and national parks.

My friends and I decided to travel to Gorgan Island on a small ferry boat to shop at the beautiful exotic antique stores and mingle with the people. We took a taxi to the ferry dock, bought our round trip tickets and boarded the ferry for the three mile ride to Gorgan Island.

The ocean was calm and smooth like tight fitted sheets on a well made bed. If I dropped a penny on it, the penny would bounce right back at me. I could barely hear the rippling of ocean waves against the side of the ferry. The ferry ride to Gorgan Island was smooth. My friends and I laughed, joked and played around like little school girls playing marbles, even though we were between the ages of 40 and 60 years. I was already 55 years of age.

Within 17 minutes we had reached our destination. The ferry docked into port and we disembarked. We met and greeted some of our friends and old schoolmates. Then we began to roam about the quaint winding narrow streets with exotic little shops, restaurants and bars. We stopped at all the shops in the little town, perusing all the merchandise and bought items we needed and did not need, but just wanted. Most of the items were locally handcrafted and could make delightful gifts. The shopping experience was exciting. It was amazing to see the variety of clothing and gift items on display… I saw similar clothing in California with the same designer labels. There was no competition, only difference we paid taxes in California, but my friends and I were looking for local home made items.

After shopping, it was getting late, the stores were closing; and we were tired and hungry, so we decided to stop at a street-side café for coffee and carrot cake. Again we had fun reminiscing about old times, school days and growing up in the times when there were no street lights and we used flash-lights to guide our way home especially after attending a basketball game. In those days we walked for miles without a car or truck passing by. Occasionally an old burro (donkey) with one or two passengers may pass by. That was the major means of transportation. Now we were looking at people driving expensive cars and trucks, and even traffic jams on Gorgan Island. Beautiful homes and condominiums adorned the gorgeous hillsides with breathtaking panoramic views.

We talked about our other classmates, and wondered where they were, what they were doing, how many children they had, how successful they were, and if they still had husbands—the real girl talk. Our minds wandered far and wide. We talked about our classmate; Leslie, who had four sons and a very successful husband.

Leslie had died two years ago from breast cancer. After her first treatment for breast cancer she was told by her doctors that she was cancer free (cured), but they recommended palliative chemotherapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells that might be circulating in the blood stream that may perhaps form another cancerous tumor somewhere else in the body. During treatment, she had lost all her hair (alopecia) and several pounds from the adverse effects of the chemotherapy drugs.

One year had passed after our friend Leslie had her first breast surgery and was told she was cancer free, when she felt another lump in her left breast. She immediately called her physician, who advised her to come to his office immediately. He ordered a mammography and needle biopsy which was positive for breast cancer with metastasis to vital organs (lungs, liver). Even though Leslie received chemotherapy and other treatments, she progressed rapidly downhill, and within one year our friend Leslie died from left breast cancer with metastasis to her lungs and liver. All the laughter and enjoyment ended on a sad note.

So there we were reminiscing about our friend Leslie who had died from Breast cancer, unaware that I was the next victim on the list for breast cancer.

It was getting late, we were exhausted and the weather was changing. It was time for my friends and me to board the ferry back home to Lavelle Island where we lived. We dragged ourselves to the ferry after a long day of shopping and reminiscing. This time the ferry took thirty-five minutes to Lavelle Island, a trip that usually takes 17-20 minutes. The ocean that was calm on our way up was now rough on our way down, the weather had changed drastically, and the wind was whistling through the ferry boat. The trees were bending in the wind, the skies were dark and grey and the weather looked bleak as if rain would pour down any minute. The rough ocean water bashed against the sides of the ferry and tossed the ferry from side to side. The edges of the ferry were almost tipping the water. There were screams from passengers everywhere. I was very frightened, but prayed for a safe passage. At the time of the sudden changes in the weather and the roughness of the ocean and wind, it never crossed my mind that this was an omen about what was about to happen and the Gods were angry

When the ferry pulled into the dock at Lavelle Island night-fall had ensued, the boatmen had difficulty keeping the boat steady to secure it to the clete; because the waves were still rough and the ferry was still rocking from side to side. They finally managed to tie the ferry to the clete, but it was still swaying from side to side. Most people managed to get off the ferry safely, but I was not one of the fortunate ones, instead, while getting off the ferry I fell forward and landed between the ferry and the dock. The iron horn of the clete attached to the dock jabbed me on the right side of my right breast. It was an extremely hard blow… I must have lost my whereabouts momentarily, for I felt someone grabbed me by the hand and pulled me to safety on the dock before the ferry squashed me to the dock. It was a nightmare.

I immediately felt excruciating pain, and a deep burning and stinging sensation in my right breast. I also felt tightness and fullness in my right breast.