MY LIFE Matters - Spring 2022 - 20

Cover Story LOVING LIFE
time. This was also during a time where I
had weekly chemotherapy appointments.
With everything else going on, I also had
to return to the cancer center to get injections
three times a week for my low white
blood counts. I remember only having one
day off from the cancer center during that
time. I really wanted to go back to work,
but how could I keep up a work schedule
like that? The thought was weighing heavy
on my mind, but I had to focus on just
getting by as best I could. Plus, thinking
about my daughters more than myself was
always at the forefront of my mind. I was
becoming very weak, but just thinking of
my daughters boosted my Faith to keep
going as best I could.
My appearance was changing on and off
throughout my metastatic breast cancer
diagnosis. I was gaining weight from the
steroids that were helping me to tolerate
the chemotherapy, and I was losing weight
when I was going through those moments
when I could not eat or taste my food. I got
mouth sores from some of the treatments,
which were very painful. I didn't want to
eat much of anything or even put anything
near my mouth for fear of hurting myself.
During these moments, I had many different
clothes sizes in my closet. I couldn't
let my fluctuating weight get in the way of
me trying to live another moment.
As for my mindset during those very
tough times, I do attribute my faith in
God and my strong will to be present. Just
being able to raise my little girls was giving
me a strong sense of grit, determination,
strength, and a tenacious attitude that was
even beyond my comprehension.
The year from hell! Yes, that's what 2002
felt like to me and I often refer to it as being
the worst year of my metastatic diagnosis.
I found myself experiencing additional
metastatic lesions in my abdomen and
spine. I had a lot going on already from my
previous chemotherapy treatments and life
itself, now I had lesions. I was beginning
to worry that my metastatic diagnosis
was too much for me to bear. At that very
moment, I was finally letting debilitating
thoughts invade my mind. I would say to
myself that I was sick and tired of being
sick and tired.
Somehow, and thankfully, that didn't
last very long, and I found myself shaking
those thoughts off. Just as I started
20
MY LIFE MATTERS
SPRING 2022
LIVING WITH STAGE IV BREAST CANCER FOR 20 YEARS
" I'm thankful for every moment of my life. I know what
it could have been . . . and now what it is. "
feeling better, the next year I received
a diagnosis of brain metastasis. I recall
asking myself how this could be happening
to me. I came to the realization
that it really was happening, and it was
happening right now. I thought to myself,
this really could be the end. Again,
adjusting that obituary in my mind and
probably on paper as well, I found myself
going through that process all over again.
I was diagnosed with a brain metastasis
in November 2003, and immediately had
to be prepped for stereotactic radiosurgery
(SRS) so that my medical radiologist
could treat the brain tumor. That was a
tough one, both mentally and physically.
Healing from it took some time but
I found myself up again, thanks to my
amazing support system. That was my
last metastatic diagnosis, over eighteen
years ago.
I remain on a targeted therapy and an
aromatase inhibitor to treat my metastatic
diagnosis. I did receive a hip replacement
in 2007 due to necrosis of the hip, in my
right femur. It had deteriorated in the
joint area making it unbearable for me to
walk. I am thankful that there wasn't any
additional cancer metastasis found at that
point and that I am able to walk again.
Focusing on my bone health has been
very important, especially since my
bone metastasis diagnosis in 2001. The
aromatase inhibitors that I have been
taking for years can cause a loss of bone
density, which can lead to bone fractures.
I have endured painful stress fractures in
the past and am presently dealing with
a torn meniscus in my knee. Taking an
anti-inflammatory medication has helped
with the swelling and has eased the pain,
but I have found that regular exercise, like
walking every day and practicing yoga
has helped me tremendously. Currently,
I try to walk at least 10,000 steps a day to
help strengthen my bones and help with
my quality of life. My bone health is also
being monitored on a regular basis by bone
density exams.
I didn't escape my twentieth anniversary
of living with metastatic breast cancer
without having a craniotomy performed.
Yes, a craniotomy had to be performed
due to brain swelling from the stereotactic
radiosurgery that I received back in 2003.
I rang in this milestone celebration with,
yet again, love and Faith. I am going to
continue this metastatic breast cancer
journey, one moment at a time! l
THIS IS TERLISA'S LEGACY.
WHAT'S YOURS?
#MYLIFEISMYLEGACY
https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/mylifeismylegacy
MY LIFE Matters - Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters - Spring 2022
