Staying strong during adversity
By Traci Moyer, The Herald Bulletin, Anderson, Ind. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"I have extreme faith in the Lord and I knew no matter what happened, I knew I would be strong and I was," said Best, 68.
Best was not a stranger to cancer, it ran in her family on both sides.
"But no one had breast cancer," she said.
Advances in the medical field have created new treatments for breast cancer and Best, who had worked in the office of a medical practice, was open to the new technology.
In December, Best went in for her yearly mammogram and that is when doctors detected a suspicious shadowing in her images that required more invasive testing.
A biopsy of both breasts showed a malignancy in the right breast.
"It was like a pinch sensation," Best said of the biopsy procedure. "It wasn't that bad."
The cancer was a slow growing cancer and Best was in stage one. According to the
"This type of cancer takes 10 to15 years before it will show up in a mammogram," Best said.
Before proceeding with a treatment for her cancer, Best sought a second opinion. While obtaining her medical records to take to the doctor, Best said she ran into a friend who gave her the name of a doctor she highly recommended.
The name was the same one the doctor gave her during her second opinion and she quickly scheduled an appointment to have the cancer removed.
"It was meant to be," Best said.
Doctors told Best she would not have to have chemotherapy, but she would have to undergo radiation. That's when she learned about a
After a tumor has been surgically removed, a
"In my experience women love the treatment and are really happy they are done in five days," Zook said. "It is more convenient and only treats part of the breast so it is less toxic."
Zook said the
Only a portion of the people with early stage breast cancer are candidates for the
Most insurance plans and
Best said everyone during her diagnosis and treatments was very supportive.
"They were all so pleasant and uplifting," she said. "And Dr. Zook, has been amazing with all her knowledge."
While Best said her faith helped to keep her strong during these trying times, she knows some people may have reservations.
"It was exciting actually," Best said of the treatments. "I knew I was going to be able to let others know there is no reason to be completely out of your mind if something like this happens. This ended up being a pleasant situation considering all the things that might have happened and I did not have to have chemotherapy."
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