Breast Most cancers survivor shares her story with ‘Life over Breast’ motto

“Life over breast: so long as I’m alive to care for my daughter, I’m nice.” This was the response of 41-year-old Charlene Chevannes-Chambers when docs requested her which therapy she needed to do following her breast most cancers analysis. Decided to defy the percentages, the buoyant, but fearless fighter was resolved to outlive the illness for her five-year-old daughter.

The Jamaican who grew up in St. Ann was formally identified with breast most cancers in 2021 after exhibiting early indicators of the illness in 2017.

Although her household doesn’t have a historical past of the illness, Charlene shared that as a young person, she struggled with hormonal points together with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

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She was additionally born with inverted nipples, which is usually a signal of breast most cancers. Nonetheless, she mentioned it was widespread in her household and was not a big concern for her.

Whereas the looks of her nipples was regular to her, she started to detect modifications in her left breast after giving delivery to her daughter in 2017. She couldn’t produce milk to breastfeed, and her left breast grew to become “exhausting and lumpy,” as she describes it.

“I went to my six weeks checkup after giving delivery and we decided that no milk was coming. Nonetheless, I instructed the physician that I used to be involved concerning the lump in my breast, and he mentioned he doesn’t assume it was something main,” she mentioned.

Frightened about what is likely to be fallacious, Charlene requested a mammogram and an ultrasound simply to be on the secure facet. She mentioned docs discovered an space of concern in her breast through the mammography and primarily based on the ultrasound outcomes, it was decided {that a} lymph node had been found in her breast.

Charlene needed an answer to the issue however was instructed there is no such thing as a prescribed therapy.

Although she was nonetheless anxious, she opted to disregard the lump because it was not alarming to medical consultants. Nonetheless, she later noticed that the lump had grow to be bigger and that she was experiencing modifications to the feel of her breast, spreading of her areola, and breast discomfort.

“I may visibly see the lump once I appeared within the mirror. You could possibly see the change within the measurement of my two breasts. One breast was greater than the opposite. I additionally had capturing pains in my breast, particularly round my interval time,” she recalled.

Whereas in search of additional medical help, she started to have a discharge from her left breast each month, usually throughout or earlier than her menstruation. She additionally recalled the discharge turning into bloody.

After a number of physician visits and examinations, one in every of which was an MRI; a true-cut biopsy was accomplished on Charlene’s left breast which confirmed that she had Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS).

In accordance with the Mayo Clinic, that is the earliest type of breast most cancers and is noninvasive. This implies it has not migrated outdoors of the milk duct and has a minimal danger of spreading to different elements of the physique.

After telling her household and associates concerning the analysis, her brother, a nurse in america, inspired her to hunt therapy there so he may help her all through her battle.

Regardless of being instructed that solely one in every of her breasts had most cancers, Charlene had each breasts eliminated on January 11, 2022.

After the surgical procedure, she was knowledgeable that she had DCIS in a single space of the left breast, nevertheless in one other space of the identical breast was in depth invasive ductal carcinoma, stage one breast most cancers. It was then that Charlene knew she made the suitable resolution in in search of early medical consideration.

“The pathologist defined to me that invasive carcinoma is a most cancers that spreads quickly. So, I mentioned to her, did I make the suitable alternative in taking each breasts? and he or she mentioned sure, that was the perfect resolution to have been made at that second and I mentioned thanks, Jesus,” she recounted fortunately.

Her resolution to have a bilateral mastectomy not solely prevented the most cancers from spreading to the opposite breast but in addition allowed her to keep away from chemotherapy and radiation.

She is at present receiving therapy abroad and is being monitored for the recurrence of most cancers in different elements of her physique.

Although it took her years for her breakthrough, the jaunty Jamaican who’s to endure surgical procedure to reconstruct her breasts, mentioned she is grateful for the end result, including that she is comfortable and assured in her “select-a-size breasts.”

“Proper now, I ought to be doing reconstruction, and possibly I’ll, however proper now, I’m having enjoyable with my select-a-size breasts,” she mentioned as she laughed.

The sunshine-hearted survivor added: “I’ve some beautiful prosthesis that appears very actual. If I need to stroll out the home with a double D or triple D breast, I can, and if tomorrow I really feel like going with out breasts, I’m going with out.”

 

Charlene, who underwent three breast ultrasounds, three mammograms, two chest x-rays, and one breast MRI between 2017 and 2020, is now celebrating life and is grateful to her family and friends for his or her help.

“I’m simply celebrating my life, my time, my household. It’s like I’m on a euphoric excessive as a result of I do know I wasn’t loopy, and I obtained one thing accomplished about it.”

She shared that all through the emotionally difficult course of, she remained robust by studying inspirational tales, strengthening her thoughts via meditation, and listening to uplifting music.

Listening to the tales of different breast most cancers survivors was additionally vital in holding her optimistic, as different fighters confused the worth of getting a robust psychological state.

Due to this, Charlene advises different breast most cancers sufferers to do no matter it takes to stay mentally steady via their difficult occasions.

She additionally encourages them to not examine their breast most cancers journey to that of others, however to struggle their battle their approach.

“Your journey is your journey. Don’t examine your journey to others as a result of comparability is the thief of pleasure,” she mentioned.

Charlene Chevannes-Chambers who was decided to win her battle mentioned her best pleasure is being alive and along with her daughter. As a substitute of letting her struggle with breast most cancers outline who she is immediately, the brave survivor formed her expertise.

“I form my journey; it’s not my journey shaping me. I needed to take management as a result of I’ve a daughter and he or she wants her mom.”