Vicky Davis, 55, says she’s finally beginning to feel like herself
again. She recently returned to her job working with children who have
special needs, and she’s growing a support group of women in her
community who’ve been diagnosed with cancer. She has only 3 more
treatments of Herceptin (trastuzumab) – a
targeted therapy drug – to treat her
breast cancer and she’s anticipating
breast reconstruction surgery in a few months. After that, she says, “I can go back to the life I once had.”
Davis’ life was turned upside down in October 2015 when she was called back after her regular, yearly
mammogram.
Biopsies found cancer in 2 lumps in her left breast and in lymph nodes under her arm. More tests found that her cancer was
HER2-positive.
Although this tends to be a very aggressive cancer, several drugs have
been developed that target the protein on the cancer cells that help
them grow.
The first breast surgeon Davis met with did not take her case seriously
enough, she says, so she got a second opinion. The second surgeon
started her immediately on
chemotherapy, Herceptin, and Perjeta (pertuzumab). She had a
mastectomy
to remove her left breast and 18 lymph nodes from her left arm. Five
lymph nodes were found to have cancer, in addition to 3 tumors in her
breast. Surgery was followed by 25 treatments of
radiation.
“If I had not gotten a second opinion, I would not be alive right now,”
said Davis. “I’m getting the latest treatment approved by the FDA. I
couldn’t get better care.”
Coping with side effects
"Going back to work is the best antidepressant ever. I have a smile from ear to ear. The best medicine is being around people."
Treatment has left Davis with many side effects, both physical and emotional.
During her 9 months off from work, Davis started feeling depressed and
went to a therapist. He recommended she go back. “Going back to work is
the best antidepressant ever,” said Davis. “I have a smile from ear to
ear. The best medicine is being around people.”
Her physical side effects include lymphedema,
a build-up of fluid in the arm where her lymph nodes were removed. She
wears compression sleeves to manage the swelling. She’s also had clogged
tear ducts, numbness in her toes, hair loss, skin problems, and chemo-brain –
thinking problems that some people get from chemotherapy. “I’ll have a
conversation and my husband says, ‘You already told me that,’ or in the
middle of a sentence I’ll forget what comes next,” said Davis. “I’m
trying hard to remember everything by writing things down. And now that
I’m back to work and my brain is more active, I’m getting better.”
For help coping with side effects, Davis checked out the information on
the American Cancer Society website. There, she learned about Look Good Feel Better workshops,
which help cancer patients manage the appearance side effects of
treatment. She found a session conveniently located in Whittier,
California. “I thought it was awesome, amazing,” said Davis. “A stylist
showed us how to wear hats, tie scarves, and draw on eyebrows. We were
provided with a big bag of makeup. It was fun.”
Tackling the beast
Davis says her experience with cancer has made her stronger. “I couldn’t
be too weak because my family relied on me emotionally.” She said her
husband took it the hardest. “He’s a police officer, stoic and strong,”
she said. “We’ve been married 32 years and he’s shown more emotion than
I’ve ever seen.”
Davis says helping the women in her support group by providing meals and
answering their questions helps her forget about her own problems. “The
thing that gives me power and strength is my deep desire to help
others,” she said. “It makes me feel more in control. It gives me a
purpose in life. I forget about being scared.”
“A lot of things happened to me in my life. I’ve always been afraid;
always worried for my husband. Now I’m not as anxious. I’ve tackled the
beast. I wasted too much energy being afraid. I’ve tackled this – I can
tackle anything.”
Vicky Davis
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