Spotlight on Abigail Smith: 26-Year-Old Breast Cancer Survivor
Although October is officially Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is an important subject that deserves attentive recognition every month of the year. Cancer is a word that no one ever wants to hear spoken about themselves, nor about a family member, a co-worker, or a friend. However, 200,000 women will be diagnosed with cancer this year according to The Breast Cancer Site, and 40,000 women will die because of this heinous and sometimes relentless disease. ChickSpeak had the pleasure of talking with one woman who has fought head to head with cancer and came out victorious. Her name is Abigail Smith, and as a 21 year-old senior in college was greeted with the devastating news that changed her life. ChickSpeak: What made you want to see a doctor? Abigail Smith: I had bought this adorable little black dress to wear to wear on a date with my long-time boyfriend. It had one of those built in bras, and as I was arranging my girls trying to make them look as perky as possible, my last two fingers on my right hand brushed over this lump. It was close to my rib cage, and I wouldn’t have really noticed it had I not been lifting and pushing them into the dress. I was curious, but not scared. The next day I scheduled an appointment. CS: The moment you found out you had cancer, what went through your mind? AS: I knew by the way the doctor’s mouth was pursed when he walked into the room. This small signal gave me a sort of head’s up, however, it did not soften the blow of the words that followed. “You have ductal carcinoma, it is non aggressive and in the first stage.” The room began to spin around me as what I had most feared became reality. I immediately thought that this was it, my life was going to end. CS: Which treatments did you receive, and how did they affect you? AS: I had a mastectomy followed by a lovely cocktail of chemo and radiation. I lost my hair, my breast, 20 lbs., and my dignity. The medication left me constantly tired and too weak to function, and the fact that I had no hair and only one breast did not help either. CS: How did you cope through this difficult time? AS: I relied heavily on my faith, and turned to God for strength. I learned that although my body may be weak and sick, that that was all cancer could do to me. It could not steal my joy, my heart, or my ability to persevere. I did not come to this realization completely on my own. I joined a support group with other ladies going through the exact same thing. Nothing is more powerful than being in a room full of brave woman who are ready to kick cancer in the butt. CS: How long have you been in remission? AS: Five years! Thank God I noticed the lump when I did. Somewhere around 90 percent of women survive breast cancer if detected early. I was blessed to have the most common type of breast cancer and to catch it in the first stage. CS: What would you like to say to other young women? AS: Do your monthly self-examination starting even as early as high school. I was 21 when I found my lump, and I thought it was impossible for someone my age to have breast cancer. Get very well acquainted with your breasts so that you’ll be able to easily recognize any changes. Also, if you are struggling with breast cancer, or any other type of cancer, you are not alone. Just because you have this despicable disease does not necessarily mean that your body will die. Do not let the cancer take away your hope, your happiness, and your ability to have fun. It will be tough, but you are strong! Now Chicks, you have been instructed about how important it is to perform a breast self-exam every month, but you may not know how to do it. Follow these instruction from Cancer.org to do a step by step examination: Step One Lie down and place your right arm behind your head. By lying down the breast tissue spreads evenly over the chest wall and is as thin as possible, making it much easier to feel all the breast tissue. Step Two Use the finger pads of the three middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use overlapping dime-sized circular motions of the finger pads to feel the breast tissue. Use three different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue closest to the skin; medium pressure to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. It is normal to feel a firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast, but you should tell your doctor if you feel anything else out of the ordinary. If you’re not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or nurse. Use each pressure level to feel the breast tissue before moving on to the next spot. Step Three Move around the breast in an up and down pattern starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone. Be sure to check the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck or collar bone. Repeat on the other breast. Step Four While standing in front of a mirror with your hands pressing firmly down on your hips, look at your breasts for any changes in: size, shape, contour, or if there is any dimpling, redness, or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin. Step Five Examine each underarm while sitting up or standing and with your arm only slightly raised so you can easily feel in this area. Raising your arm straight up tightens the tissue in this area and makes it harder to examine. If you would like to get involved in breast cancer awareness, you can start by telling every woman you know about the proper way to do a self-examination, and the importance of talking to a doctor about any changes. You can also get involved with the Avon Walk for Cancer and the National Breast Cancer Foundation to either give a donation towards research or you walk and support many brave women who battle with this disease. Fatima Meadows attends Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. She hates cancer, and prays for a cure every day. She admires anyone who has put up a fight with any sort of cancer, and hopes to help out with breast cancer awareness in any way she can. Editor’s note: Photo does not reflect the image of Abigail Smith.
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