Breast Cancer: Maria's Patient Story
This breast cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Treatment
- surgery, chemotherapy and radiation
Treatment course, step by step
- Mastectomy.
- Lymphadenectomy.
- Chemotherapy.
- Radiation therapy.
What happened, in summary
Maria’s doctors initially planned mastectomy, lymphadenectomy, and chemotherapy for her breast cancer. During the mastectomy, they found that cancer had reached lymph nodes, and the treatment plan had to change. Radiation therapy was later added.
Treatment caused hair loss, loss of appetite, and radiation burns. Maria used prescribed medication and improved nutrition to help manage these effects, and she continued eating more healthfully each day. The change in treatment left her somewhat discouraged, although she felt a little less anxious once the revised plan was in place.
Cancer also affected her relationships and future plans. Maria contacted her parents more often but had less intimacy with her partner. She hoped to visit family in Texas, take part in her sister’s wedding, return to work, and regain a normal life. She also considered starting a family.
Her greatest fear was that chemotherapy and radiation might not work or that cancer could remain in lymph nodes that had not been removed. She spoke with her doctors and began seeing a therapist to manage that fear.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by Our Cancer Stories. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer