Breast Cancer: Serena's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Serena had no suspicious symptoms when a mammogram detected her cancer. She went on to have breast-conserving surgery with a lumpectomy, lymph node removal and radiation therapy, following her doctor’s recommendation. She is now undergoing hormone therapy. Fatigue and weight changes were among the effects she experienced during treatment, although she did not describe using specific strategies to manage them. The experience has also affected family life. Serena spends less time with her children than she did before cancer, but she still looks forward to overseas holidays and hopes to travel on her own as well. One of her deepest fears is dying and leaving her two sons without a parent, particularly because her husband died 5 years before her diagnosis. She manages that fear by focusing on what went well: the cancer was detected early and the tumor was removed successfully. Serena tries not to follow catastrophic “what if” thinking and instead takes the journey one step at a time, accepting help from family and friends when it is offered.