Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2012 - (Page 6)

Julie’s F ight or flight. It’s the body’s primitive, inborn response that prepares us to fight or flee from something we perceive as a threat to our survival. Julie Lemon had to make that critical choice when she learned she had breast cancer. For most of her life, she’d considered herself a pessimist with a negative point of view. But when her doctor delivered the shocking news that would change her life, Julie chose to “fight.” “The first thing you need to know, from the minute you hear the diagnosis, is that you are not alone,” says Julie. “A good attitude, a good support network, and a strong faith will get you through it. You become a survivor from the minute you hear the diagnosis and decide, ‘I’m going to go on.’ ” Journey “The markers were high for a reason,” says Julie. “Now, I had thyroid cancer, but this cancer was not related to the breast cancer at all and I needed to have further tests.” There were also unexpected complications. Years ago, a neck injury led Julie to have an electrical nerve stimulation unit implanted to control pain. The doctor couldn’t do an MRI with metal in her body. She no longer had the neck pain and decided to have it removed. “I wanted to be able to have all the tests I needed.” Eventually, Julie had surgery for thyroid cancer followed by radioactive iodine treatment that required isolation (see the sidebar for explanation). A celebration of two anniversaries to as her “breast cancer bible.” The handbook helped Julie record her journey, become informed, organize her appointments, and stay inspired. “Gwyn was instrumental in my decision to have my surgery at CCH. Dr. Ernest was willing to refer me wherever I wanted to go, but I told him it was important for me to stay near my family. I trusted him completely.” Finding Cancer On Dec. 23, 2009, Julie went in for her annual mammogram at Central Carolina Hospital (CCH). She expected it to be fine since she hadn’t experienced any problems and nothing had been found during her annual checkup. Then, one day she came home and saw an envelope from CCH. She didn’t think too much about it. “I almost threw it away because I just knew it would tell me my mammogram was fine.” She opened it a few days later. She was surprised to read something had been found. On Jan. 22, 2010, Julie had a surgical biopsy. Roger Ernest, MD, was her surgeon. “I remember hearing the words ‘invasive lobular breast cancer.’ It felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the recovery room,” says Julie. Please see the sidebar for an explanation of this cancer. Unexpected Complications Julie opted for a mastectomy of the left breast followed by chemotherapy. She thought she would soon put it all behind her. But then, her doctor noticed her tumor markers were high. Treatment Dictionary Get more detail on Julie Lemon’s experiences with cancer: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). This type of breast cancer starts in a lobule and spreads to surrounding breast tissue. If not treated at an early stage, ILC also can move into other parts of the body, such as the uterus or ovaries. ILC is the second most common type of invasive breast cancer, accounting for 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancer cases. Radioactive iodine treatment. This is a treatment used to destroy any thyroid tissue not removed by surgery or to treat thyroid cancer that has spread to lymph nodes and other parts of the body. The thyroid gland absorbs nearly all of the iodine in the blood. When a large enough dose of radioactive iodine (RAI) is taken into the body, it destroys the thyroid gland and any other thyroid cells (including cancer cells) that take up iodine, with little effect on the rest of the body. The radioactive iodine is usually given as a pill or liquid. A patient may give off radiation after receiving RAI treatment. Depending on the dosage, a few days of isolation may be required. 6 | FA L L 2 0 1 2 Nurse Navigator Makes a Difference Just a few days before the biopsy surgery, Julie had met Gwyn Sandlin, CCH’s breast health navigator. She had given her what Julie now refers

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2012

Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2012
From the CEO
Contents
Health Beat
Julie's Journey
By Their Side
The Right Direction
The Right Tools

Central Carolina HEALTH - Fall 2012