Breast Cancer: Sandra's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Sandra Christianson was born in 1972 and lost her mother to breast cancer when she was 15. In her late 30s, she was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and chose lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. A port was placed in late February 2012, and chemotherapy began on March 2. She completed that part of treatment on May 2, 2012. Before radiation started, she was hospitalized for chest pain and shortness of breath; a CT scan showed cancer had spread to a mediastinal lymph node. Radiation then lasted 7 weeks, 5 days a week, and caused severe burns. Afterward, she started tamoxifen, which she expected to take for several years. Her recovery was physically and emotionally hard, with infections, swallowing problems, depression, and anxiety, but her doctors later told her there was no evidence of disease. In summer 2019, 8 years after the first diagnosis, a routine mammogram found a small change in the other breast. Biopsy confirmed another invasive breast cancer. Sandra had another lumpectomy, some lymph nodes removed, a port placed, 3 months of chemotherapy, and 8 weeks of radiation. Anastrozole was recommended after treatment, but she chose not to take it. The two experiences shaped how she understood fear, support, identity, and life after active treatment.