Sue Wolford was a healthy 58-year-old with no history of breast cancer in her family when she found a lump in her breast during a self exam. She immediately notified her doctor and scheduled a mammogram. "They kept me waiting a long time during the mammogram, so I knew that they had found something that wasn't supposed to be there," she said.
After the mammogram and a subsequent biopsy, Sue received her diagnosis: Stage I breast cancer. Sue lived in a small, rural town in Idaho and the closest treatment facility was about two hours away. Instead of commuting for treatment, she decided to rent a house in Salt Lake City, where her son lived and where she could receive optimal treatment. In all, Sue spent 6 months in Salt Lake City .
Sue's treatment team in Salt Lake consisted of a surgeon and an oncologist. Sue said, "One thing I would tell cancer patients is to take somebody with them to listen and be an extra set of ears, especially at the beginning when you're talking over treatments and dates and you're so scared that you can't remember what somebody said."
After her diagnosis, Sue was given a choice of treatments. After debating between a mastectomy and a lumpectomy, Sue decided to have the lumpectomy, along with a breast reduction, a procedure she had always wanted to have. After her surgery, Sue underwent 4 cycles of chemotherapy and 7 weeks of radiation.
Like many patients, Sue experienced some side effects from the chemotherapy, including fatigue and hair loss. "During the chemo, I was very tired and lethargic," Sue said. "I couldn't even think very well. It was as much as I could do to pay my bills. Going to the grocery store was a big adventure."
Sue credits her 5-month-old puppy with keeping her going during chemotherapy. "I had to get outside and walk her and that was a good thing."
In addition to feeling fatigued, Sue lost all of her hair. She said that this is something that people who have not had cancer simply cannot understand. "People say, ‘Oh, it's just your hair.' It's not that way. It's a big deal to lose your hair," she said.
Sue didn't like the feel of a wig on her head, so she coped with the hair loss by wearing scarves. She said that her hair grew back pretty quickly. She finished chemotherapy in March and by the end of the summer, her hair was long enough to go without a scarf.
Sue said that she was very lucky to take a good anti-nausea medication, which prevented her from experiencing nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy. She also used some mind-body tactics during the chemotherapy treatments to reduce anxiety. She said, "One of my friends told me to pretend that the chemo room was a cruise ship and that those chairs that my feet were on were deck chairs and the other people in the room were the other passengers. So, I did it and it really helped ease some of the stress."
One thing that Sue missed during her chemotherapy was water aerobics. An avid water aerobics instructor prior to her cancer diagnosis, she missed the feeling of being in the water. However, the chemotherapy kept her from healing from her surgery and an open sore remained throughout her chemotherapy treatment, which prevented her from going into the water.
"As soon as that sore healed, I was right back in the water," Sue said. "I did water aerobics during the whole time of my radiation treatments."
Sue said the water aerobics was part of her healing program. Not only did the water provide a nurturing environment, but the whole experience of the class was helpful to her. She believes the ambiance and camaraderie of the class helped her to maintain her health during treatment.
Another important factor in staying healthy was keeping a journal. As part of a study through the University of Utah , Sue said "I had to write all the way along about my experiences, both good and bad. Writing in a journal helps identify that a lot of good things come out of being ill."
Some of those good things include that "you find out really who your friends are and you learn to appreciate every day. I still do. Five years and one month later, I wake up thinking ‘Yahoo, I'm 63!'"
Five years later, not only is Sue 63, but she's also healthy. She has conscientiously undergone follow-up screening every six months since her cancer treatment, but now that she has reached the five-year mark, she will undergo yearly screening.
The one remaining side effect for Sue is that she still experiences hot flashes on a regular basis. "Five years later, I have hot flashes all day and all night. It's awfully embarrassing sometimes," she said.
Despite the continuing discomfort from her hot flashes, Sue chooses to look at the bright side. "I learned a lot," she said. "I learned patience, to enjoy every day, to treasure my friends, and to give back what was given to me."
Date Created: 6/2/2005
Date Modified: 9/20/2005