Finding the strength
Diagnosed with breast cancer in her 30s, mom-of-two Tricia leaned on the support of her family and the expertise of St. Joseph’s care teams to get her safely to the other side
Tricia never expected she’d be starting the fight of her life when she went to St. Joseph’s for a routine mammogram. There were no signs that anything was wrong – she didn’t feel a lump. But her mother had faced breast cancer before, and Tricia asked her doctor to sign her up annual mammograms just to be safe. For years, her tests showed nothing.
But on this day, the exam wasn’t straightforward. Tricia was told that one breast had signs of concern, and she was directed to do a biopsy and an MRI. She was only 38 years old, and had two small daughters waiting for her with loved ones at home.
“I was just sitting there like a deer in headlights,” says Tricia. “That was the last thing I expected that day.”
A few weeks later she was officially diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. The cancerous cells were located in a lump two-and-a-half millimeters long – so small that she wouldn’t have known it was there until much later, if it wasn’t for access to diagnostic testing.
“My mom was really upset, she felt like she had to take some of the blame because she’d had breast cancer herself,” Tricia recalls. “But the doctors reassured us. Because of her cancer, that’s why I went and got checked and we caught it so early.”
In the fight
She underwent two lumpectomy procedures and made plans to start radiation treatments. But her care team realized there was still some cancer present. She opted for a double mastectomy, then had radiation and reconstructive procedures to make sure the cancer was fully gone – and she looked and felt her best.
Looking back, Tricia says that time in her life was especially challenging as a mom. Her family – especially her parents – helped her shoulder the burden of fighting cancer while working full time and raising kids.
Looking forward
In the years since her surgeries, Tricia has only needed to come in for a handful of follow-up tests. She is still in awe that she was able to endure so much. “I can't honestly believe that I had the strength and courage. And I wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of the nurses and the doctors here at St. Joseph’s reassuring me and being very responsive.”
With her breast cancer journey behind her, Tricia is looking forward to living her life to the fullest – and traveling. She has several trips lined up, including heading to Halifax to visit her daughter who lives there. “I just want to enjoy life,” Tricia says. “When I look back now I think about that saying, you never know how strong you are until you don’t have a choice but to be strong.”
“I just want to enjoy life. When I look back now I think about that saying, you never know how strong you are until you don’t have a choice but to be strong.”
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