While Suzanne's diagnosis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer on April 29, 2011 created a frightening detour in her life, it also marked the beginning of an incredible journey of faith, hope, and courage. Due to her cancer's aggressive nature, she had a lumpectomy that May. Her doctors prescribed chemotherapy and radiation post-op. After her 5th chemo treatment, Suzanne developed acute pneumonia and was hospitalized for 15 days. Initially unable to diagnose the cause, doctors discovered she suffered from a rare drug reaction which had been documented in only a few cases around the world. This resulted in the cancellation of her last 9 chemotherapy sessions.
The next step in her "FIGHT-plan" was radiation at The Methodist Hospital-Willowbrook, but Suzanne had to wait 2 long months for her lungs to clear. During this time, the Lord continued to strengthen her spirit and faith, and she forged on holding fast to Philippians 4:4-6. "Be full of joy in the Lord always...do not be anxious..., but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks."
A teacher at heart, she made a huge pink PAPER CHAIN with 30 links to count down the days of radiation. As friends drove her to treatment each day, they would remove a link together. On December 31, the journey reached its end, and suddenly, Suzanne found herself thrust into a new role-SURVIVOR! As exciting as the milestone was, she soon found herself with a new dilemma. "No one taught me HOW to be a survivor!" she recalls. "I knew I should be celebrating, but my fears and emotions were real." Faced with a new road to recovery, Suzanne found ROAS. She poignantly remembers her first meeting and the relief she experienced when her turn to speak came, and she shared, "I'm so happy to be alive, but I'm scared to death of recurrence. Is it normal to feel that way?" She quickly realized other breast cancer survivors provide a different type of support and one she much needed. "Fighting cancer takes courage," says our survivor, "but with my ROAS support group, I know I don't have to go it alone."
