As the month of October quickly comes to a close and collegiettes are consumed with thoughts of Halloween parties and pumpkin spice lattes, we wanted to bring attention to something else commonly associated with this time of year – something we consider to be a little more important.
As many of you may know, October is nationally recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and aims to increase awareness of the disease while celebrating the many survivors who have conquered it. This interview is with one of those survivors.
As the mother of one of our fabulous members, we couldn’t think of a better Campus Celebrity to feature this week than Mrs. Dana Friedman.
Name: Dana Friedman
Major: Being a mom
Hometown: Buffalo Grove, IL
HC: When were you diagnosed with breast cancer?
Dana: My husband and I were initially told by my breast surgeon on April 16, 2014, that there was a very likely possibility that I either had breast cancer or lymphoma. The surgeon requested and performed additional testing (breast MRI and two separate biopsies, as the first was inconclusive). We got the final results of the diagnosis on May 5, 2014, that indeed it was breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes.
HC: What was your initial reaction?
Dana: Initially, I was shocked and had a very typical response of, “Why me?”. I couldn’t believe it at first – especially because there was no history of breast cancer in my family. I also feel as if, in the beginning, I didn’t have much time to totally process the information because as soon as my doctor gave us the diagnosis, it was like I was put on a non-stop train of testing and doctor visits to figure out the plans for treatment.
HC: How did you tell your family, and what was their reaction?
Dana: My husband was there when I found out, so I didn’t have to tell him. We decided together not to tell our children until we had a plan for treatment so as not to scare them. Once we met with my oncologist and had a plan and more information, we told our children at the same time. There were a lot of tears and hugs, but I kept reminding my kids that I was going to fight through this and that everything would be fine. We told them that it wasn’t going to be easy, but that I would be stronger at the end of the treatment.
HC: Which type were you diagnosed with?
Dana: I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer due to the size of the tumor and the spread to the lymph nodes. It was categorized as ER +, PR – and HER2+.
HC: What kind of treatment did you go through?
Dana: Initially, I had an axillary node resection to confirm the diagnosis. After determining the type of breast cancer, I was started on chemotherapy that was scheduled for six cycles every three weeks. Because of the HER2+, one of the chemotherapy drugs had to be continued every three weeks for a whole year. On November 14, 2014, I underwent a right-sided mastectomy and had a tissue expander placed for delayed reconstruction. At this time, they also removed additional lymph nodes. After healing from this surgery, I underwent 28 treatments of radiation therapy. Recently, on September 24, 2015, I finally had my reconstruction completed. I decided also, at this time, to have a left-sided mastectomy. Additionally, because of the ER+ status, I will be taking an oral medication called Tamoxifen for five to ten years.
HC: Are you in remission. If so, for how long?
Dana: I am currently cancer-free! (Technically, since my surgery in November).
HC: Do you do anything to raise awareness?
Dana: When I was diagnosed, my daughter was insistent that we do something to raise awareness. She did research on various walks and found the American Cancer Society’s ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ event. I raised money for the event and completed the walk with the support of family and friends. This year, despite Stephanie being away at college and my surgery that was three and a half weeks before the event, we completed our second time doing this walk. I raised over 3,000 dollars to help others – the best part of this year’s walk was that Stephanie surprised us by coming home for the event!
HC: If you were to give a newly diagnosed women one piece of advice, what would it be?
Dana: One of the hardest things for me was learning to accept the help of others, as I have always been so independent. My advice would be to accept the help of others. There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed, and without the love, help and support of others, I could not have gotten through this.
To find out more about how you can help in the fight against breast cancer, please visit the American Cancer Society.