Japan
Jul 22, 2011
No time like the present
“I will always remember when Caren called. Here was a woman reaching out to me who had just gone through what I was facing,” says Connie Duarte.
Two colleagues from Dako USA share their experiences and feelings about having been breast cancer patients. Caren Miears, Territory Manager, Field Sales, Atlanta, Dako North America offered Connie Duarte, Executive Coordinator, Sales, Dako North America, Carpinteria, her support.
Connie Duarte starts by saying:
“I will always remember when Caren called. Here was a woman reaching out to me who had just gone through what I was facing. Caren has a great sense of humor and she immediately put me at ease. She actually made me laugh. She offered suggestions and sound advice from her own experience and knowledge about cancer diagnostics. She gave me her home phone number and said to call her any time. She even arranged for my husband to speak to her husband. Just knowing Caren was there (albeit on the other side of the country) was a great comfort.”
With Dako for 15 Years
Connie has worked for Dako for 15 years, following a very interesting career path within the company. “I feel confident about being diagnosed with Dako’s products,” she says and mentions the products: Dako’s detection system LSAB2, Estrogen antibody clone ER1D5,Progesterone Receptor PgR 636 and Hercep-Test. She was negative for her2 and positive for ER/PR.
With Dako for Six Years
Caren Miears has been with Dako for six years as of May 2011, holding four positions within the company during that time. She started out as a Territory Manager and was then promoted to Project Sales Manager. At the end of 2008, she accepted the position of Executive Sales Specialist involved with the TPID program.When that group was dissolved, she was asked to reassume the position of Territory Manager in T18 (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Upstate South Carolina) to try and stabilize the territory.
Kindred Spirit
“I knew that I could support Connie because of my own experience with cancer. I knew that having someone to talk to, cry to and yell to could be cathartic and, except for my husband, I didn’t have that,” Caren Miears says. “I forget who told me that Connie had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but I’ll never forget when I first reached out to her. I was at the airport in Atlanta on my way to the Global Sales Meeting when I called – just to let her know that I had been where she was and to offer my support. I asked her just to call me, not as a medical resource, just a ‘cancer patient pro’… Once you’re diagnosed, you find yourself looking for something, anything. And I think I was able to help. She knew I was there for moral support, if nothing else”.
“Each person going through breast cancer will have a unique experience; there’re no set rules, no “right” way to do things,” Caren adds.
Shock and Fear
Connie Duarte received the phone call from the radiologist at work.
“At that moment I felt a combination of disbelief, shock and fear. The doctor (a woman) was very matter-of-fact and outlined the next steps I would have to take. Although a highlyrespected doctor, she had no “bedside” manner.I felt numb and found it difficult to listen and write down her instructions.She said she would mail me a letter with the details. As soon as I hung up, an associate came by and I burst into tears and told her everything. She tried to comfort me. I pulled myself together, called my husband, and then drove myself home, dreading what was to come,” Connie Duarte says.
Connie’s mammogram showed a small tumor underneath her right breast near the top of the rib cage. A core needle biopsy was done the same day and the very next day, January 13, 2009, she received the diagnosis.
Agonizing Wait
Connie describes the wait as agonizing “especially because there were multiple periods of waiting with one hurdle after another,” she explains.
“Just when I thought the hurdles were over, another appeared. To keep my mind off negative thoughts, my husband and I watched as many funny DVDs as we could find. We also took long walks on the beach, something I didn’t make time for before,” she says.
When asked about her treatment, Connie again talks about hurdles.
Challenging Presurgery Process
“Before determining the type of treatment, there was a long pre-surgery process. After the initial diagnosis, I underwent two additional tests. First was an MRI with contrast of both breasts. Then I met my surgeon. The MRI detected some additional questionable areas in the same breast, so she sent me back to the first doctor for an ultrasound. The ultrasound results were negative. However, this doctor made a strange and unnerving comment to me. She said I always had the option of having both my breasts completely removed. I was speechless and left the office even more concerned."
“The surgeon wanted to send me for yet another test, a PET scan, which my internist (another woman doctor) said was not particularly accurate. By this time, I was very frustrated and didn’t want to delay surgery with yet more tests. I then emphatically asked my surgeon if she could just remove the questionable areas when she removed the tumor. She agreed and the surgery was scheduled for January 29th,” Connie explains.
Mastectomy or lumpectomy
“On the day of surgery, I had to arrive early for insertion of tiny wires into the small areas of concern in my right breast so the surgeon would be able to identify and remove them. Sound simple? Not really. This procedure was done again with contrast inside the MRI machine while on my stomach with my breasts hanging into two square holes. The process took ‘forever’ as the technician had difficulty locating the precise areas,” Connie sighs deeply and continues:
“After the wires were in place, I was wheeled over to surgery admissions. I was given papers to sign and the word ‘mastectomy’ jumped off the page. I was stunned because the surgeon told me that I would be having a ‘lumpectomy’. The nurse pointed out the word ‘partial’ mastectomy and explained that it is the same as a lumpectomy.”
Surgery went well and she returned home the same day armed with pain meds and care instructions. The area remained sore, swollen and bruised for quite some time.
Many Very Long Days . . . Waiting
For ten very long days she waited for the results of the surgical biopsy of the tumor, lymph nodes and questionable areas. But finally she received a phone call from her surgeon and the news was all good. The tumor was stage 1 and smaller than first estimated, the lymph nodes were negative and the questionable areas were benign. So this meant radiation, but no chemotherapy, Connie thought. However, after the meeting with the oncologist that all changed.
“The oncologist began by saying that my tumor would be sent for a special test known as Oncotype Dx to determine if I needed chemotherapy. I was surprised because I was led to believe that if the lymph nodes were negative, there was no need for chemo,” Connie says and continues:
“This test would compare the genetic structure of my tumor to that of others in a database and come up with a score between 0 and 100. Scores of 1-10: no Chemo; between10-20: Chemo recommended. 20-100: Chemo required. Yet more long days of waiting."
“My husband went with me to hear the test results. Actually, he was at my side for virtually every doctor’s appointment and radiation treatment. He was a tremendous source of strength and support. The oncologist looked squarely at us and said she had never seen such a result. My heart sank, but then she said I had the lowest score: One. So no chemo,” Connie relates.
“The oncologist also instructed me about the estrogen blocking drug treatment available when tumors are ER/PR positive, which mine was. However, there can be considerable side effects. Since my tumor scored low on the gene test and since I had other health issues that would be exacerbated by the drug, I opted out. Hopefully, I made the right decision,” she says.
Skin Irritations and Turmeric Allergy
Connie was scheduled to start radiation treatments on March 17th – at 5 days a week for 6.5 weeks. She continued working throughout the treatment period. The first half was not too difficult, but during the second half, she began to feel very tired and developed skin irritations which grew steadily worse. During the final week of treatment she experienced dizzy spells and wanted to discontinue, but the radiation oncologist urged her to finish the series, which she managed to do.
When undergoing radiation, patients are not supposed to take antioxidants. Connie’s oncologist had recommended the spice turmeric as an excellent antioxidant to take after completing radiation. So the evening after her final treatment, she took her first dose of 1,000 milligrams. The next morning she awoke with hives, burning and itching all over her body.
“Fearing a reaction to cumulative radiation, my husband rushed me to the Cancer Center,” Connie explains.
“At the time, Santa Barbara happened to be in the midst of a wild fire, the city was engulfed in smoke, and some neighborhoods were being evacuated. Not an ideal time for a medical emergency. My doctor immediately said I was having an allergic reaction to something I had eaten. Bingo – the turmeric. It took more than 10 days to recover from the allergic reaction and several weeks for the radiated breast area to heal, similar to severe sunburn,” she explains.
Prioritizing the “Fun Stuff”
The cancer experience has of course changed Connie’s life.
“I am more inclined to do things now rather than later, like “fun stuff”, which I have had a tendency to postpone. Now, my husband and I have booked a two-week European vacation for this fall with our son, daughter-in-law and her parents. There’s no time like the present,” she emphasizes and adds:
“Life is good. I’m grateful for the many blessings in my life. Although experiencing cancer first hand has left me feeling vulnerable, it has also made me stronger. As my oncologist reminded me the other day, although I had cancer, I no longer have cancer,” Connie concludes.
Facing the Unknown
Caren’s breast cancer was detected during a normal mammogram. She had a bi-lateral biopsy to make the diagnosis. The original screening was not performed using Dako products, but Caren’s hospital of choice did send out for her ER/PR – Her2 status to Quest – a Dako lab.
“Not Me”
When she received the diagnosis she went through all the stages of grief: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. She also experienced that waiting for the results was the hardest part – this was where the denial kicked in, “not me”. “When my physician called and said she had ‘good news and bad news’, I knew that I had breast cancer and that it was DCIS (duktalt karcinum en situ),” explains Caren.
“All through my surgery and treatment, I heard ‘you have the good cancer’. What an oxymoron! However, to my family and friends, I always said, “it’s the good cancer”, particularly since my ER/PR – Her2 status was negative. I was more concerned about what they were feeling and wanted to put the most positive light on the situation,” Caren says and adds, “I was fortunate not to have to make a choice about mastectomy.”
“Of course having cancer (even the ‘good’ cancer) changes how you look at life. I got so tired of being told I had the good cancer. Cancer is cancer. It is terrifying and you are facing the unknown. You are also aware that it could return. Do I worry about that? NO. I enjoy my life, my family and refuse to let cancer define me. At this time, I am a cancer survivor and I intend to stay that way,” Caren declares.
Difficult to Say the “C”
After surgery, the treatment of choice was radiation therapy – 33 treatments over the course of six weeks (with time off for good behavior). The only side effects were the classic “sunburn” from the radiation and she did experience tiredness. The treatments lasted until the end of January 2009 – so she was able to make the Global Sales meeting in South Africa.
“Truth be known, I didn’t feel 100% until late summer 2009. I still have a little soreness, but I’m sure that will go away sooner or later,” says Caren.
“My biggest supporter was my husband – his love and patience gave me the grounding I needed. My children and friends knew what was going on, and were there for me. I tried to keep my situation private. It wasn’t really until I had completed treatment that I could say, I have had breast cancer. It was hard for me to say, during the process, ‘I have the C-word.”
Moral Support
“Subsequent to my experience and the fact that I will openly talk about it now, several of my customers and associates have been diagnosed with breast cancer and those who are aware of my history have either had them call me or asked me to call them, just to let them know that they are not alone. To speak with someone you know is reassuring,” Caren concludes.
Text by Lillian Lykke Andersen.
Photos: Private