Jacki Donaldson Talks About Her Breast Cancer Journey
At34, Jacki Donaldson was a mother of 2 with no dispositon to breast cancer and had never had a mammogram, as she was under the age of 40. Then one day she discovered a lump and there began her journey with breast cancer. To connect with family and friends on how she was doing and seeking solace in words, she wrote about her experience on her website
jackidonaldson.com. Strangers starting coming by, and she was discovered by Aol's
The Cancer Blog and
Health Central.com. In her second lease on her life, she's following her passion for writing and sharing her experience with women she's never met. Dondaldson is as candid as she is on her website about battling the disease and finding unexpected miracles.
How and when did you discover your breast cancer?
I found a lump in my left breast while taking a shower one morning. It was small, hard, and felt like a frozen green pea. It moved around and was hard to find at first -- but once I became obsessed with it, I could locate it in an instant. I went immediately to my OB/GYN who was sure it was nothing -- because at the age of 34, I was too young for breast cancer -- and then I went for a mammogram where everything looked okay and then for an ultrasound that revealed a definite solid mass. A biopsy came next, performed by a surgeon who believed my lump was not cancer -- because it moved around too much -- and then the next day, November 23, 2004, the same surgeon called me with what I already knew deep in my gut -- I had breast cancer.
On your blog you say you got breast cancer "out of the blue...no family history...an age when mammograms are not even recommended..." How important are mammograms and self-breast exams?
Important! Being aware of my breasts is what saved me. It led me to an aggressive tumor that was full of cancer. And I wish mammograms were recommended for women under the age of 40 because it's clear that women of all ages can be diagnosed with breast cancer. So I recommend pursuing any suspicious finding immediately -- regardless of doctor opinions. Had I delayed taking action on what I found -- because doctors thought it was nothing -- the result could have been tragic. So push for a mammogram, and push for an ultrasound which often finds more than a mammogram can find. And push for an MRI if necessary too.
Like most people who hear the word cancer, they think it is a death sentence, did you always think that you were going to beat this?
Deep down, I do think I will beat it. I think I may have already beaten it. But I do have dark moments when I consider that cancer could come back, it could spread, it could take me from my little boys. Because young women do die from this disease and sometimes I wonder what makes me different from them. Perhaps it will be my early diagnosis, my intensive treatment, my attitude. I can only hope. And believe. Which is what I do.
Were you pissed off at the gods, thinking: why me?
I was not mad. I did wonder why it happened to me with no apparent risk factors -- but I have never felt bitter about my diagnosis. I try to think that everything happens for a reason. And I have gathered many life lessons from breast cancer, so perhaps this is the reason cancer paid me a visit -- so I could learn a thing or two.
What kind of treatment did you receive?
I had a lumpectomy that removed my tumor and four lymph nodes (all were negative for cancer). I received four rounds of dose-dense chemotherapy with the drugs Adriamycin and Cytoxan. I received radiation therapy five days per week for seven weeks. I received one year of immunotherapy with the drug Herceptin -- every three weeks for 52 weeks. And as of June 28, I am done -- except for monthly counseling that I still receive.
How did you stay positive throughout your experience?
My boys -- 18 months and 4 years old at the time -- kept me grounded, focused, distracted, busy, and laughing. I had no time to feel sorry for myself and keeping busy kept me positive. And my family was very supportive and helpful. And my friends were too. Encouraging words from people everywhere came out of the woodwork. Some of my most emotional moments came as a result of the outpouring of love that came my way.
How important is it to have the support of family or friends?
It's critical. I am not sure what I would have done without my mom who lives in my neighborhood and my sister who lives a few miles away and my husband who stayed home from work for each my chemotherapy visits and each of my weak moments. I am not sure what I would have done without meals delivered to my doorstep and cards and e-mails and phone calls and -- the list goes on. Help is key for survival. I couldn't have done it alone -- or maybe I could have. It just would have been so much harder.
What was your best and worst day?
Hearing the news that my cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes made December 3, 2004 my best day. And speculation that another cancer - possibly leukemia and lymphoma - may have caused my blood counts to drop for a second time after just one chemotherapy treatment made a day in April 2005 my worst day. Thankfully, a viral infection was to blame in the end and not another cancer.
Do you ever get tired of being referred to as a cancer survivor?
No. I think it describes pretty accurately what I am doing is surviving.
What is the biggest misconception people make about being diagnosed with breast cancer?
That young women are immune to breast cancer. They are not. I am living proof of it.
What would you say to a woman first diagnosed with the disease?
Stay strong but be weak too. It's all necessary for healing. Find a doctor you trust, a doctor who is warm and caring. Ask for help. Accept help. Pamper yourself. Take naps. Pay attention to every side effect of every treatment and call your medical team about everything. Don't tough it out with hopes it will pass, especially during chemotherapy. Err on the side of caution always.
You write for the Cancer Blog. Is writing your therapy?
Writing has become my best form of therapy and my connection to the world of cancer survivors everywhere.
Through your columns, you must hear from a lot of women with breast cancer.
Yes, and it is continues to amaze me how may women are living with breast cancer, and how hopeful each woman is.
How do you help in the fight against the disease?
By writing and spreading my word. By reaching out to survivors. By letting others know they are not alone. By fundraising. I will run in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on October 14 and plan to raise $4,000 (I've already gathered close to $3,000). My donation page can be found here --
Hope Starts Here.
How has breast cancer changed your life?
It has taught me to cherish the moment, to stress less, to put family first, to really do only what makes me happy and comfortable.
Your treatment is over and your hair is growing back; it's like a new lease on life. What would you do now that you didn't have the courage to do before?
I think what I've learned most is to make sure I have no regrets. If someone asks me to do something and I don't see it fitting into my schedule, I can confidently decline the request. If I just don't feel like doing something, I don't do it. If a physical pain or lump or bump bothers me, I pursue it in an instant even if I do appear a hypochondriac. I don't ever want to be sorry about anything.
How far into the future do you look, or do you take it one day at a time?
I do look forward to some extent. I am a planner and an organizer by nature. But I realize now more then ever that tomorrow is not a guarantee for anyone. So I make each day matter.
Copyright ©2006 Sure Woman.com/Copyright ©2006 Dawn Prince
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