Breast Cancer Awareness Month: A Day in the Life of Fighting Breast Cancer
Each October, the USA turns a shade of pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is an annual reminder to shine attention on cancer that continues to affect the lives of women and men around the world. According to breastcancer.org, “About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2020, an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 48,530 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.”
For those of us who have not fought this disease, what happens during a day in the life of fighting breast cancer? A breast cancer survivor, Michele, kindly shared her experiences. Doctors diagnosed Michele with Stage 1 breast cancer resulting in a double mastectomy. 
Diagnostic Testing
Michele explained she spent several days receiving diagnostic testing as a part of her breast cancer journey. Testing included Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CAT scan), mammogram, and breast ultrasound. She also had BRCA gene testing completed to glean more information about her breast and ovarian cancer risk level.
Researching Treatment Plan Options
During a typical day of her journey, Michele explained that she was researching information and discussing options with her doctors. For example, she wanted to understand chemotherapy and radiation treatments should she need them and studied short and long-term medication side-effects. She weighed the pros and cons of a double mastectomy versus a lumpectomy or other more conservative treatments to treat her cancer.
Surgical Preparation
In collaboration with her doctor, Michele decided to undergo a bilateral mastectomy with subsequent reconstructive surgery, so she read as much as possible about what to expect with the surgeries. Michele prepared by visiting with her surgeon to review the details and consulted other mastectomy and reconstructive patients. She discussed her surgery’s impact and recovery time with her family and employer and planned accordingly for all the day-to-day tasks that others would need to complete. Surgical preparation required additional pre-operative testing and doctor visits.
Immediate Aftercare
A day in the life post-operatively for a breast cancer patient like Michele consisted of managing medication, drain tubes, completing daily living activities with assistance, and subsequent physical therapy services. Michele explained that she could not reach her arms over her head for quite some time, so she required assistance with dressing and bathing. Her endurance was initially low, and she could not lift items; therefore, she needed help with meal preparation, housekeeping, and laundry. Michele’s husband and other helpers drove her to doctor appointments because she could not drive for quite some time post-surgically.
Long-Term Aftercare
Although Michele is now cancer-free and healed from her surgeries, she continues to require routine MRI’s to ensure she remains in remission. She also continues on medications that need periodic blood tests.
Educating Others
A day in the life of surviving breast cancer for Michele means educating others. The first two people on her list of students are her teenage daughter and son. Given this family history of breast cancer, Michele regularly teaches both her children the importance of awareness and early detection. Michele wants her daughter to be very aggressive with her screenings and have her brother support and remind her every step of the way for decades to come. She also serves as a resource for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients to assist them through the continuum of care.
How Visiting Angels Daphne Can Help
As Michele can attest, fighting breast cancer is a marathon, not a sprint. Angel helpers are needed to provide physical assistance after surgery for bathing, dressing, meal preparation, laundry, housework, and transportation to doctor appointments and therapy services. It is not only our line of business but our honor to assist those fighting breast cancer. If you or someone you know needs assistance during their breast cancer recovery, the compassionate caregivers of Visiting Angels Daphne can help. Please call us at 251-517-9700 or contact us online today to learn more.