Physical, mental and emotional support during and after breast cancer treatment is one of the crucial factors in the recovery process, as it helps the patient manage the emotional turmoil that comes with a cancer diagnosis and makes adapting to their new ‘normal’ a bit easier.
Fortunately for Carla Thomas, she has had all the support she needed from the moment she was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative cancer in her right breast. This type of cancer is often more aggressive and can grow and spread faster than other types and is more likely to recur.
Thomas has been in remission for 12 years, and so far, there are no signs of recurrence. She told WE magazine that had it not been for the support she received during that period and even now, she is not sure what her state of body and mind would have been right now.
“Mentally, physically and emotionally, I’m in a good place. I got so much support, and I thank God for it.”
Her brush with cancer began one night in 2013 as she was getting ready for bed. She heard a voice say, ‘Carla, check your breast.’ She brushed it off, but then she heard it again. In hindsight, she believes it was the voice of God, and had she not heeded His advice, she may not have caught it in time and probably would not have been alive to tell the story.
“The second time I heard the voice, I examined my breasts and immediately felt the lump.”
She promptly visited her doctor, who referred her to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope for tests.
“I got a mammogram and an ultrasound. The mammogram didn’t pick up anything, but the ultrasound showed a definite lump.”
A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis, and a mastectomy followed.
“I was 41 then. The voice that I had heard back then, I knew it was God. I remember the night of my surgery; he gave me Psalm 9 to read, and he brought me through it. The Psalmist says, ‘The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.’” (Vs 9 and 10).
Thomas then underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy and had eight sessions of radiation. She said the experience was tolerable because, unlike many other cancer patients, she never felt sick from the treatment, and she was not in pain. Also, the fact that she was able to go through the healing process without having to worry about rushing back to work was a major help.
“I am a ward’s maid at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, and my employers were very supportive. I got six months off to recover, and for the time I was doing radiation, my co-workers made sure I got to all my appointments on time.”
What traumatised her, though, was the hair loss– one of the many side effects of the chemo.
“Mentally, I was a mess. It was Christmas morning when my hair started to fall out in patches. I didn’t go into full depression because I had the support of my family. But I cried a lot, especially when I had to shave off what was left of my hair. My daughter was in secondary school at the time, just a child, and she shaved off her hair just to show support for me.”
Two years after her surgery, Thomas became a member of the Cancer Society of T&T, adding to her support arsenal.
“I got counselling from the Cancer Society, and the support from the other survivors, doctors, and even the lecturers strengthened me as well. Now, I am in a good frame of mind. I don’t really take it on as when I was first diagnosed.”
She has also made some diet and lifestyle changes that have helped to boost her physically and mentally.
“I started eating a lot more fish, and channa, and soursop; a lot of soursops because it is supposed to be good at preventing and fighting cancer.”
She doesn’t take any medication, but she still has to do her follow-up visits every year–appointments her children make sure she keeps.
“They were so strong during that time, and they tried to give me that strength. They were so young then and so strong. My son is 36 now, and my daughter is 26, and I’m so lucky that they are still always here for me.”
