beyond pink team
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us
 If you are Breast Cancer Survivor and  you would like to contribute your story to our Newsletter, 
​please send us a message here.
DOWNLOAD Current NewsletteR

Categories

All
Advocacy
Bone Health
Breast Density
Breast Disease
Caregivers
COVID 19
COVID-19
Emotional Support
Environment
Exercise
Fatigue
Financial
Gender
Genetic Testing
Grief
High Risk
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Ignite
Implants
Intimacy After Cancer
LGBTQ
Lymphedema
Mammography
Meditation
Men
Mental Health
Metastasis
MRI
NBCC
Nutrition
Obesity
Pain
Pregnancy
Prevention
Radiation
Reconstruction
Reduce Risk
Rehabilitation
Screening
Sex
Side Effects
Support Groups
Surgery
Survivor
Survivorship
Treatment
Vaccine
Yoga
Young Women

Archives

January 2023
October 2022
July 2022
April 2022
January 2022
October 2021
July 2021
April 2021
January 2021
October 2020
July 2020
April 2020
January 2020
October 2019
July 2019
April 2019
January 2019
October 2018
July 2018
April 2018
January 2018
October 2017
July 2017
April 2017
January 2017
October 2016
July 2016
April 2016
January 2016
October 2015
July 2015
April 2015
January 2015
October 2014
July 2014
April 2014
January 2014
October 2013
July 2013
April 2013
January 2013
October 2012
July 2012
April 2012
January 2012
October 2011
July 2011
April 2011
January 2011
October 2010
July 2010
April 2010
January 2010
October 2009
July 2009
April 2009
January 2009
October 2008
July 2008
April 2008
January 2008
October 2007
July 2007
April 2007
January 2007
October 2006
July 2006
April 2006
January 2006
October 2005
July 2005
April 2005
January 2005
October 2004
July 2004
April 2004
January 2004

my three breast cancers

4/2/2005

0 Comments

 
by Marsha Allen

I first felt a ripple in my breast in early 1996 and saw three different doctors from the spring to the fall, but no one could feel anything. In October, I had a mammogram and areas of concern were found in both breasts. Dr. Duven did a bilateral biopsy and cancer was detected in the right breast.

In December of 1996, at the age of 54, I had a lumpectomy of the right breast. My youngest daughter had just graduated from college and moved home to help out. I had no trouble with the surgery or radiation that followed except for burning on the breast and a very, very sore nipple. The staff at the Cancer Treatment Center made the 10 minutes a day I spent there a breeze. I was then put on Tamoxifen but wasn’t able to tolerate the drug.

My husband and family were very supportive but we felt that I had been handed a death sentence as both my grandmothers and my mother died from cancer, as well as my mother-in-law. Five years passed quickly and I went in for my last check-up with mammogram. I was riding on air. I had made it to the five year mark!

However, I received a call telling me that I needed my right breast biopsied. It turned out to be an aggressive cancer. I had decided that if my cancer ever returned, I would go the M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center in Houston, Texas. Surgery took over 12 hours – I had a mastectomy, rebuilding of the right breast, and reduction of the left breast.

As the physician was finishing the reduction on the left breast, he felt an area of concern and did a biopsy that came back as cancer. This cancer had not shown up on any mammograms in Iowa or Texas. The surgeon was called back in and a lumpectomy was then performed on the left breast. My sister was waiting for me when I got out of surgery and was the best moral support that I could have asked for. I brow beat her into singing hymns for me as I thought I was dying. I had no feeling in my right arm or strength in my fingers to push the morphine button.

I had nine giant (bagel sized) drainage tubes in me but by the second day I was walking around the nurses’s station. Twelve days later I was back in Iowa and shortly began aggressive chemotherapy which was very rough. I often felt unwell, but did not want to give into the discomfort. I got dressed and went out to breakfast each morning, though sometimes my mouth was too sore to eat. I felt God was only going to give me so much time, so I was going to do what I wanted with it.

Sitting home and complaining just didn’t fit my agenda. I lost all of my hair so I bought a wig, but it itched my head and it was cold. I began to use turbans which I liked better. However, one Sunday I was in church and became overheated and sick. I thought either the turban goes or I go. I reached up and took that thing off my head, right in front of God and everyone else!

It was liberating. It was wonderful. After that, I went bald.

Today I look on each day as a special blessing from God. I take each day, one day at a time. I look forward to my church meetings, my Red Hat meetings and my garden club meetings. I visit my children and grandchildren. I plan for the future, but I also enjoy today – for this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

​
Read Full Newsletter
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

CONTACT US

Beyond Pink TEAM
c/o Jeanne Olson, Treasurer
1407 Asbury Lane
Waterloo, IA 50701
​beyondpinkteam@gmail.com
(319) 239-3706
©2020 Beyond Pink TEAM
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us