Jackie Smith

Jackie Smith's Story My Story For His Glory

As we recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, I am blessed to be able to still be here 14 years later to share my experience with you. In the years since my breast cancer diagnosis, I have met many other women that have gone down this same road. We are members of “the club." A club that we really don’t want to see others join with us. To me, the saddest thing in the world is to think that someone would go through what I’ve been through alone and without hope. Breast cancer is not a death sentence. There is always hope. Jesus Christ is my hope. God has taken what Satan had planned to destroy me with and brought healing and peace into my life on so many levels. Death and the fear of death have lost their sting. Doing a self-breast exam in the shower one November morning in 2007, I felt a lump in my right breast. Surely this isn’t anything to worry about I thought so I neglected to tell my doctor until my December visit. I had the mammogram scheduled for my day off in January so that I wouldn’t have to miss work. I was a third-grade teacher and didn’t like to miss school so I wasn’t in a rush to have this done sooner. A few days later a magnified mammogram was scheduled and then on February 4, I had a core needle biopsy. On February 7, 2008, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. Our daughter was in my third-grade class at this time and our son was in the ninth grade. We had two other teenage brothers living with us also; an eighth-grader and a senior in high school. I was 39 years old and never thought I would be told that I had breast cancer. After meeting with my oncologist, Dr. O. Sitti, the plan was to have a port-a-cath placed to allow the chemo to be administered to replace the need for repeated needle sticks. Because of the size of my tumor, chemo would be first and then mastectomy followed by radiation treatments. The chemo drugs administered were Adriamycin and Cytoxan beginning on February 27, 2008. These were known as the “red devil” and were given every other week. After this, twelve treatments of Taxol and Herceptin were given. On September 16, 2008, my Mom’s birthday, I had a radical mastectomy. My Mom said that hearing I was now

cancer-free was the best birthday present she had ever gotten. I started radiation in November and was also still having Herceptin treatments until April of 2009. CT scans, PET scans, MUGA scans, bone tests, MRI’s and lots of blood work lasted for a year before everything showed that all was well. I chose delayed reconstruction, TRAM Flap, two years after treatment. Chemo brain, fatigue and not having my hair were some of the most difficult issues for me. Not being able to take care of the things that I had been able to do before or able to walk across a parking lot to go grocery shopping was really hard for me mentally. As the Lord provided care in all the right places I needed, I learned to just rest and say thank you. People were praying and God was providing what I needed just when I needed it. I tell people that I am so thankful that I had breast cancer because it saved my life. After experiencing lots of unpleasant stomach issues and then a dream one night that made me wake up my husband and tell him that I needed a colonoscopy while he mumbled, “that’s nice, sweetheart. Now go back to sleep.” I listened to that still small voice and I am so thankful that I did. Breast cancer prompted me to seek and desire more from the voice of God in my life. On April 7, 2009, I was diagnosed with a signet ring cell carcinoma, stomach cancer. This cancer has a poor prognosis because as I have learned the symptoms often develop late and are therefore usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. In May of 2009, I underwent a gastrectomy that removed the lower part of my stomach. This cancer was stage zero and completely unrelated to the breast cancer. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband, Doug, amazing children, praying friends, and church family. Because of His blessings, I have been there for my children’s high school and college graduations. I danced at my son’s wedding four years ago and just recently became a grandmother to precious Sadie and Lael. Each and every day of life is truly a gift and I am thankful to be able to share with others my journey and God’s grace and mercy through the difficult times as well as good.

Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16