“As a woman who had been on top of her game in terms of her appearance, losing my hair was hard.”
Every woman with breast cancer goes through that specific moment when she suspects something is wrong. For cancer survivor Cynthia Rogers, it was at age 44, in 2019, while trying on outfits in a store in preparation for a vacation.
Right there in the dressing room, she felt a lump in her breast. She had false alarms before because her breasts tended toward the cystic, but she knew this needed checking, and soon arranged for a mammography.
Becoming a Member of the Club No One WANTS to Join.
There was urgency in the voice mail message from her primary care physician telling her to follow up with a breast specialist immediately. She makes an appointment with the specialist, but the news still felt unreal. “You have cancer.”
While the doctor talks about next steps, Cynthia feels like she’s having an out-of-body experience. Her first impulse is to schedule the biopsy for another time, but the doctor is having none of it. This is the point where the doctor talks her through what’s coming next—surgery, chemo, recovery, and rest—but she is in emotional overload, not quite grasping what the doctor is saying.
Stage Two Cancer Treatment
Cynthia’s diagnosis was stage two breast cancer, for which she must endure 18 months of treatment. “This disease is known to be very aggressive in women of color, our tumors tend to be more aggressive. That’s another reason why our community is disproportionately affected. We have a higher mortality rate from the disease than Caucasian women,” Cynthia said.
She had a lumpectomy after getting three professional opinions. After the lumpectomy, she went through eight sessions of chemotherapy scheduled every two weeks. After chemo, she started daily radiation, Monday through Friday, for six weeks.
“After radiation, my oncologist informed me about a new treatment he thought would also help me, and he recommended that I have the treatment for a year,” she said. However, this treatment, called Herceptin, was tough on her body, and Cynthia was only able to tolerate it for six months.
Enduring Chemotherapy & Hair Loss
Chemotherapy kills cancer cells and keeps the disease from recurring, but it’s a difficult journey. Some women sail through the chemo experience with relatively few side effects. But she was not so lucky. The side effects affected her nerves, resulting in burning and tingling sensation in her hands and feet. Then, of course, there was losing her hair. As a woman who had always been on top of her game in terms of her appearance, losing her hair was hard.
In the midst of her chemo treatment, she went to church wearing a hat to disguise her bald head. Everyone was happy to see her, but she was overwhelmed with fear that the hat would fall off. That night, she experienced a bit of divine intervention. A music award show was on TV, and Melissa Etheridge, also going through chemo, was on stage, rocking and completing the bald.
“From that moment on, I felt encouraged and empowered to wear my ball head with pride after seeing her. I wore it as a badge of honor. That was God. That’s what God can do,” she said.
Surviving
11 years have passed since Debra became a breast cancer survivor. Now she helps others on their journey, as she herself was helped. Along with her family, who stayed strong and were always there for her, she relied on the Sisters Network of Central New Jersey.
These days, she lives life with the understanding that she must stay relentless in being physically active. She never takes life or time for granted. “I know that each day is a gift. I know that each day that I am healthy and able to get out of bed on my own and get myself to work and put in a productive day is a blessing from God,” she said.
Do Your Research & Take Care of Yourself.
So what advice does Deborah have for the thousands of women and men who find out they have breast cancer this year? “Get your tablet, get your tablets, laptops, mobile devices or pen and paper and do your research,” she said, Look up the doctors you plan to see, and check out at least three facilities, if possible, where you can go for care.
Always get a second opinion, no matter how reputable your initial breast specialist is. Be selfish as you go through the cancer journey and you take your well being into your own hands. Remove yourself from toxic people and situations if you want complete healing. Cancer is a blessing as well as a curse, as it can lead to development of your spiritual growth.
Debra is conscious of her diet, exercises daily and embraces overall wellness as a lifestyle.
Building and maintaining her spirituality is very important to her well being. “I have a strong faith, and I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for all that he has done for me by bringing me through a life changing experience,” she said.
