Stage II Breast Cancer: Lena's Patient Story

What happened, in summary

Lena found a lump during a breast self-examination and went to the hospital for further evaluation. She was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. After considering her doctor’s recommendation and doing her own research, she underwent a lumpectomy to remove the tumor and received chemotherapy. Her treatment was completed. Treatment caused nausea and vomiting, although she did not use a specific strategy to manage those effects. The diagnosis changed how Lena related to the people she loved. She began contacting and visiting her parents more often and wanted to remain close to her family. She hoped to attend her brother’s graduation the following year and, above all, wanted to become healthy again. Lena’s strongest fear was dying from cancer. She coped by finding other people with cancer online and reading their stories. Her message to others was that they are not alone, should be kind to themselves, and should not blame themselves for having cancer.