Stage I Breast Cancer: Kacey's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Kacey was 39 when a scheduled mammogram found a small lump. She had not noticed other symptoms, and the result came suddenly: Stage I breast cancer. The diagnosis made her feel frightened, worried, powerless, vulnerable, and disillusioned. She responded by trying to be more active and by eating healthier every day. Her treatment plan changed as more information became available. At first, the plan she accepted included lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. After surgery showed no evidence that the cancer had spread, she did not go through chemotherapy. The final treatment she received included lumpectomy and hormone therapy. Knowing she could avoid chemotherapy helped her feel happier and more hopeful, even though she still felt some anxiety. She also took nutritional supplements on her own. Treatment side effects included diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, which she managed with better nutrition and prescribed medicine. Years after diagnosis, Kacey was in remission and no longer taking medication. She kept eating healthier, contacted and visited her parents more often, and looked ahead to a family trip to Los Angeles. She also planned to run a marathon in January to mark her cancerversary. Her main fear remained recurrence or spread, but family, doctors, and other survivors helped her cope.