You may feel scared and alone, but information is power. As you ponder your options and consider your course of action, consider this advice from experts:
Tell it like it is
”Be open and honest with your cancer doctor about the symptoms from your cancer or from the side effects of treatment. In some cases, your physician can offer easy, practical solutions to make living with breast cancer and chemotherapy more tolerable,” said Dr. Katisha Vance, a board certified medical oncologist in Birmingham, Alabama.
Take care of yourself
”Maintain a healthy diet, try to get enough sleep and exercise. Bring a water bottle to your appointments; doctors can run late and you should stay hydrated. Try a meditation app to help manage stress,” said Dr. Heather King, breast surgical oncologist with Texas Breast Specialists, part of Texas Oncology in Austin.
Involvement equals empowerment
”In the age of precision medicine, no one’s treatment is alike and sometimes less is more. Work with your team of doctors to determine a treatment plan that works best for your cancer and your lifestyle. An involved patient is empowered, and an empowered patient will thrive and survive,” said Dr. Anjali Malik, a breast imaging and intervention radiologist at Washington Radiology in Washington, D.C.
Spare the nipple
”If you need surgery for breast cancer, find a breast surgeon who is able to do nipple-sparing mastectomy ... Especially with small breasts, if you need a significant lumpectomy and radiation, you will have a far superior aesthetic result with a nipple-sparing mastectomy and natural tissue breast reconstruction with sensory restoration in that with a good nipple-sparing mastectomy and reconstruction it may be difficult for other people, including your spouse or medical provider, to tell that you have even had a mastectomy,” said Dr. Constance M. Chen, a board-certified plastic surgeon and breast reconstruction specialist in New York.
Question until you get answers
”I would make sure that you are persistent when it comes to learning whether or not your cancer has spread and to what extent. It’s important to have solid and thorough understanding of the stage of the disease, the extent of the disease (size, lymph nodes and the pathologic type). By asking those questions of your physician and care team, you can get a thorough understanding of what you are facing and the best approach to address each of those areas,” said Dr. Miral Amin, surgical oncologist and oncoplastic breast surgeon at Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Chicago.
Don’t freak when diagnosed
“I realize it’s tough when you find out and it seems like a death sentence. However, realize that the vast majority of breast cancer patients are stage 1 or 2 and they are cured. You are much more likely to die with breast cancer than due to it,” said Dr. Bilal Farooqi of Comprehensive Hematology Oncology in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Don’t go it alone
”Take someone with you to your appointments because there is no way you will remember everything that was said once you’ve left the appointment,” said Beth Pauvlinch, co-author of “Two Women 1 Disease,” which she wrote with her mother, whom she lost to breast cancer.
Rely on developed skills
"Most couples do not realize that they already have the tools to cope with cancer based on previous crises. Remembering how they overcame difficult situations in the past may help a couple develop coping strategies in the current situation,” Amin said.
This article appeared in Paint it all Pink Magazine 2019, Austin American-Statesman, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Providence Journal, The Columbus Dispatch, The Palm Beach Post, Times Herald-Record, Barnstable Patriot, Daytona Beach News-Journal, Gainesville Sun, Lake Sun Leader, Nebraska City News-Press, and Jackson Progress-Argus.