Blanca Lerma is a mother and recent grandmother who lives in Mission. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February and decided to have reconstructive surgery.
Lerma states that she feels grateful for the help of her daughter, who has taken her from the Valley to Houston for her chemotherapy treatments.
"I have a 22-year-old who has been with me for all of this. She’s never left my side. If I’m alone in my room, she always checks in on me," Lerma added.
According to a surgeon, some women feel that their breasts are part of their identity, while there are others who make the decision to surgically remove one or both breasts to avoid breast cancer recurrence.
"I had a patient in West Texas when I worked in that region. The patient said she didn't want me to reconstruct her breast," said Vijian Dhevan, a surgeon.
However, Dhevan notes that breast reconstructive surgery reduces a person's risk of getting cancer again.
Dhevan also notes that he has treated many patients in the Valley with advanced breast cancer. He recommends that women of a certain age, especially those over the age of 40, have their check-up every year—an action that could save their lives.
This article originally appeared in Spanish in KRGV-TV (ABC, Rio Grande Valley).
Este artículo apareció originalmente en español en KRGV-TV (ABC, Rio Grande Valley).