BeYourAdvocate! Own

said. “We always are looking for something to celebrate and a reason to eat food.”

The surgery was indeed a celebration, if not at least for the fact Thomas opted for that route instead of just a lumpectomy. The tumor in her breast was much larger than expected, and they discovered two more cancerous tumors in the lymph nodes in her armpits. Those latter tumors had not previously shown up on any other scans. After surgery came five weeks of 25 radiation treatments at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Thomas stayed at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge during her time there, with family members able to once again be by her side.

“That was amazing, being able to stay there and being with people that may not have the experience with breast cancer, but that are experiencing cancer, and we’re all in the same boat with getting radiation and being away from home,” Thomas said. With radiation came complications.

Two skin infections threw a wrench in the treatments, as did another, more severe issue. Thomas woke up one night with the kind of

THOMAS on B2 pain and numbness associated with a heart attack. It wouldn’t be the last time those symptoms reared up during radiation either.

WhenIwastoldthatIhadanabnormalmammogram,Iwasterrified. IhadplannedonleavingthenextmorningforFloridaforfourmonths,andtheladyon thephonesaidIshouldhaveitcheckedwhenIreturned.That’swhenIlearnedmyfirstlesson:BeYourOwnAdvocate.Icanceledmytravelplansandscheduledanothermammogram. Aftertwomammograms,twoultrasoundsandsevenbiopsiesthefindingswereconflicting.Isupposedlyhadthree lesions,oneat3o’clock,6o’clockand9o’clock.Itdidn’tmakesensetome.Thesurgeonwasreadytodoalumpectomy ononebreast,butIsaid“No, takethemboth.”AfterthesurgerythedoctorsaidthatwasthesmartestdecisionIcould havemade;onebreastwasfullofcancer.Itisaterrifyingsituation.Askquestionsandresearchthepossibilities. Thedoctorsandnursesdothebesttheycan,buteachsituationisdifferent.Iamveryfortunate,we caughtitearlybeforeitspreadtomylymphnodes.Ihad30sessionsofradiationandnochemo.

IamcancerfreeandthankfulforthemedicalattentionIreceived!

The symptoms ended up pointing to pericarditis, a rare side effect of radiation that sees swelling and irritation of the sac-like tissue surrounding the heart. Symptoms can mimic a heart attack.

Thomas was only the second patient her doctor had seen in 12 years to develop that condition after radiation.

Despite all the unforeseen problems and a couple painful nights in the ER, Thomas managed to finish her radiation treatments on time, even though it meant receiving three treatments in a 24-hour period.

“Which I do not recommend,” she said.

Now back at home, Thomas is technically cancer free but undergoing a new chemotherapy treatment and monthly Zoladex shots, which stop the ovaries from producing estrogen. She’ll continue getting those shots with a giant 16-gauge email either indefinitely, or until she can get a hysterectomy.

Chemo treatments should be done in April, after which Thomas hopes she can then have reconstruction surgery following the mastectomy.

A community of support

Throughout her cancer journey, Thomas has continually had a strong support system of people around her, including her husband, two daughters, sister, parents and countless other family members and friends.

Even though she no longer works at Pillager High School, the staff there decided to organize a fundraiser to help with hospital expenses. Thomas’ daughter played softball in Pillager, and Thomas always loved going to the games, so they decided on a Strike Out Cancer theme during a night when the varsity softball team played a late game under the lights.

She’s had to learn to humble herself a bit during this time in her life and allow other people to help her out.

“I’ve learned that allowing others to help you is there way of being able to heal, too. And I can’t take that away from them,” she said. “I would rather be the one helping everybody else, so that’s been a challenge for me.”

Sometimes even getting up in the morning is a challenge, too, but Thomas said it’s important to take those little steps each day of getting out of bed, taking a shower and getting dressed, even if she ends up just going right back to bed. That’s the advice she has for others struggling with their own cancer journey.

“Allowing yourself to sit there and wallow in your depression isn’t a good plan,” she said. “You’ve got to get up every morning.” practicesfull-spectrumoncologyandhasaspecialinterest inthetreatmentofbreastcancer.Shewillbeseeing patientsatLakewood’sStaplesClinic.

And keeping up with regular doctor’s visits and mammograms is an important step, too.

Thomas’s cancer was Stage 3, caught early enough to still be treatable, allowing her the time to continue living her life.

“God’s got this,” she said, noting everyone’s cancer story is different, but she hopes those facing the challenge might be able to find a little strength and a little hope from her own story.

THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa. bourke@brainerddispatch. com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ DispatchTheresa.