72岁的萨拉·莫尔斯住在旧金山的菲尔莫尔区. 她和丈夫育有三个成年子女和六个孙辈, 他们喜欢参观1956年翻新的Airstream, 停在索诺玛县一个朋友葡萄园的山坡上. Morse is also a breast cancer survivor. After being diagnosed at 59, 她确信自己活不下去了,但她发誓,如果活下来的话, she would find a way to help others.
应对跨越三代的乳腺癌
今天,莫尔斯已经摆脱了癌症,并实现了她的承诺.
你在59岁时被诊断出患有乳腺癌. Did you have a family history?
我的母亲和她的母亲死于乳腺癌. 我14岁时,我妈妈被诊断为晚期,21岁时她去世了. 当我长大成人的时候,我真的很害怕. 我总是带着恐惧和恐惧面对乳腺癌.
How did you discover you had cancer?
我和妇科十大赌博平台排行榜一起去做例行的年度检查. 她做了乳房检查,然后说:“我觉得这里有点不对劲." She asked if I could feel it and I couldn't. My heart was jumping out of my mouth. 她说:“你能去楼下做个乳房x光检查吗?" I did, but the mammogram showed nothing.
That night at home I got a phone call. It was 8:20, and it was my doctor. She said, "I can't stop thinking about you. I am sure I felt something. Will you please come in and have an ultrasound?" I was quaking in my boots. 果不其然,她的背部长了一个肿瘤,在乳房x光检查中没有发现. She caught it.
在我被诊断出癌症十周年之际,我给她写了一封信, 感谢你的勤奋和工作. Her gut feeling was correct. I am so grateful.
What happened next?
They did a needle biopsy and it was malignant. I was terrified. I cried. I was sure I was a goner. 我充满了对母亲的回忆,她的癌症在一年内转移到了另一侧乳房.
How did you cope?
I saw Deborah Hamolsky, 她是加州大学旧金山分校的护士,为像我这样的乳腺癌患者提供情感支持. 我垂头丧气地走了进去. I came out with the tools for coping. 她教我用尽可能多的知识武装自己.
I also joined a support group through UCSF's Patient and Family Cancer Support Center. 通过与其他患过癌症的女性交谈,我得到了极大的支持. 这和和你的姐妹或最好的朋友说话是不一样的,他们没有听过这些话, "You have cancer.“与那些经历过的人交谈给了我新的希望和一盏明灯.
How was your breast cancer treated?
I only had cancer in one breast, 但是因为我妈妈的癌症迅速扩散到另一个乳房——我非常害怕——我想做双侧乳房切除术, which is the most aggressive treatment.
So you did it?
Yep. 我就这么做了,从来没有后悔过. 我不必接受化疗,但我确实服用了两种干扰雌激素水平的药物. 服用他莫昔芬5年之后又服用来曲唑5年, also a pill, 为了听到“你很好”,这似乎是一个小小的代价."
And you're now a volunteer in UCSF's Peer Support Program你和新诊断的乳腺癌患者交谈.
Yes. I'm there to talk to anyone who needs it. 有些女人想知道乳房切除是什么感觉,而我毫不犹豫地展示了我13岁时的胸部. 一位女士说:“我很震惊你这么做,但我很高兴你这么做了."
你似乎对你决定切除双乳很开心.
Oh, yes! And it does have its benefits. 如果我买了一件夹克衫,发现中间不合适,我就不穿胸罩. 如果我想看起来像多莉·帕顿,我会穿上多莉·帕顿的胸罩!
你对乳房再造手术不感兴趣?
No. 我和同一个男人结婚十亿年了. He just wanted me alive. 他鼓励我做任何我想做的事,我看不出有什么理由.
And I look good! There isn't any scarring. 我想成为一个好的乳房切除手术的海报女郎. Really!
How did you feel on the day of your surgery?
我住的地方离加州大学旧金山分校的锡安山校区不远, 所以我牵着丈夫和三个孩子的手去做乳房切除手术. It was 5:30 in the morning and dark. I never felt alone that day.
And you are cancer-free?
Yes! 但如果你能相信的话,我胸部手术两年后,我的肺上长了一个斑点. I thought, "I'm cooked now.“他们把这个斑点取出来了,并不是恶性的. 但就在我做肺部手术的同一天,我丈夫拿到了他的常规PSA检查结果. He had prostate cancer.
Is he OK?
He had a radical prostatectomy. People ask us, "How's your sex life?我们会说:“嗯,我们身体的很多部位都不见了。!" But he's clean now too. We're lucky people.
除了同伴支持项目,你还在十大赌博平台排行榜做其他志愿者工作.
每周二,我都会穿上我的志愿者蓝色背心,在十大赌博平台排行榜为病人提供午餐 Ida Friend Infusion Center. 在锡安山和癌症中心,我也会陪同人们赴约,在大厅里回答问题.
当你提供午餐的时候,你会说些什么?
I say, "Guess what, I've been in your shoes.“通过志愿服务,我遇到了很多很棒的人. 我丈夫和我都得到了非常好的待遇.
Why is volunteering important to you?
我答应过你,如果我能摆脱困境,我就会回报你. And I'm here!