3 breast cancer survivors share their journey Published Oct. 27, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Heather Holcomb 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The word "cancer" shoots off the tongue like a numbing dart; even said in lullaby tones it conjures nightmares. At the same time, little else can spark the raw strength, willpower and passion for life that may have been like dormant embers for years. For some people, being diagnosed with cancer isn't a death sentence -- it's an awakening. Three breast cancer survivors and members of the Keesler family not only endured the physically and emotionally painful treatments, they came out with a brighter perspective on life. Denise Landry In February 2007, Ms. Landry, an 81st Medical Group medical law paralegal, was having her annual mammogram when her doctor found a lump near her armpit. At first she wasn't concerned with having a biopsy the next month because all biopsies she received in the past had shown the masses to be benign. "After those initial words, 'You have cancer,' came out of his mouth, I really don't remember too much else," Ms. Landry said. "It was like I was in a daze and just going through the motions. It wasn't until I got in the car that reality actually sank in and I realized I had cancer." Ms. Landry said the diagnosis was difficult to share with her family because her husband had watched his father succumb to lung cancer several years earlier and she knew her children would be devastated. "I was always the healthy one taking care of everyone else and never got sick myself -- not even with as much as a cold until then, so this was something that really caught them off guard," she said. After her biopsy and diagnosis, Landry was given treatment options. She could either have her breasts removed with a mastectomy or have a lumpectomy and radiation. "Even though I knew what the right choice was for me, it was still an extremely difficult decision to make because I felt like I would be less of a woman," she said. She had a mastectomy with a sentinel node biopsy and had 11 lymph nodes removed. She was released from the hospital after three days with one drain and a stapled incision that extended from her armpit across her breast. "It was not a pretty sight, but it didn't look as bad as I thought it would," Ms. Landry said. Five weeks later she had a port placed in her chest so she could begin chemotherapy the next day. For six months she received two different types of chemo. "Each time I would have to go in the next day for them to check my white blood cell count -- if it was low I had to take injections to reduce the chance of infection that caused extreme joint and bone pain," Ms. Landry said. Halfway through her chemo, she developed blood clots in her neck. That meant doctors had to inject warfarin, an anti-coagulant, into her stomach for a week and then put her on oral medication. She completed her chemo in October 2007 and began a five-year regimen of tamoxifen. Weight gain from the drug has caused her to put off reconstructive surgery. "I am not happy at all with my looks," Ms. Landry said. "I try not to focus on that, but to concentrate on the fact that I'm still here!" Ms. Landry said she tries to exercise more and eat healthier, although Southern food is often irresistible. She's also gotten involved with helping others. Over the past three years, she's volunteered with several different organizations and talked to numerous people diagnosed with cancer. "I find by talking with them it not only helps them better understand and cope, but it also helps me," she said. Since her battle with breast cancer, Ms. Landry says she tries not to worry as much or let little things bother her. "I cherish my family and friends each and every day and look forward to spending time with them," she said. "I am a lot more laid back now and enjoy life more." Valerie Jackson Ms. Jackson, a retired Navy wife, recently completed treatment at the 81st Medical Group Hospital. She had a double mastectomy and 14 months of chemo along with "tram flap" reconstructive surgery in which fat and muscle from the abdomen are used to reconstruct the breasts. Ms. Jackson is proof that breast self exams are crucial because she found the lump herself while she was checking in the shower. She said when she found the lump, she was scared and thought of her mother who also had cancer. Although she wondered why she was given a second chance at life, Ms. Jackson said that since her diagnosis she has become closer to the people she cares about, doesn't smoke, eats healthier and lives every day to the fullest. She suggests that those who are diagnosed with cancer keep away from negativity, get out of the house, do the things they enjoy and most importantly, never give up. Ms. Jackson said that the experience has made her a stronger person. "I don't worry as much about what others think or have to say," she said. Cathy Provorse Ms. Provorse served on active duty in theAir Force for more than 15 years and is married to anAir Force retiree. She also benefitted from self examination because she too found a lump herself. "This situation could have been a lot worse if I hadn't found it when I did," she said. Ms. Provorse was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma Stage 1 in 2007 and had a left breast mastectomy along with one year of chemo at the 81st MDG hospital. She said she never got sick during treatment, just tired. She did, however, lose her hair. "When you start your treatments, shave your head," she recommended. "It was traumatic to be washing my hair in the shower and see my hair in the bottom of the tub. Once you shave it, it's one less stress factor. Just think -- you get to wear beautiful hats and get a new hair style." She urges people who are diagnosed with cancer to talk about what they're going through instead of internalizing the struggle and doing nothing. "Talk to your family about the changes you're going through," Ms. Provorse said, "My husband was fantastic during this whole time. When you get married your vows say, 'in sickness and in health.' Well, he really stood up to his end of the deal." Denise Landry, Valerie Jackson and Cathy Provorse prove that beams of light can come from the darkest situation. And while many people still succumb to breast cancer, if they have a positive attitude, not a single moment of their lives will be unfilled. Ms. Landry said, "I don't want to waste time thinking about what could happen--I just want to enjoy being alive."