Frances Hammond is an advocate for yearly mammograms. She had promised her mother that when she turned 40, she would get her mammogram yearly, and this was a promise she kept. In 2017, when Frances was 60, her mammogram came back abnormal. After a series of tests, Frances learned she had stage 2B triple-positive breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Treatment
The news that she had breast cancer came as a shock for Frances. “I was in disbelief,” she said. “My doctor told me that although the cancer was aggressive, it was treatable.” She also learned that it was stage 2B after initially being told it was stage 2A.
Frances had a lumpectomy, followed by six rounds of chemotherapy with Herceptin every 21 days, 20 days of radiation therapy and 12 remaining rounds of Herceptin “I was excited about the little tattoos you get when you do radiation,” Frances said. “They were my first tattoos.” The radiologist explained that the tattoos marked where the radiation beam would hit.
Because of the tumor’s location in her chest, throughout radiation, Frances had regular echocardiograms to make sure there was no damage being done to her heart. She’s now on hormone therapy for the next several years.
Eliminating Negativity
When Frances became depressed, her doctor prescribed medication to help – and a treatment nurse recommended Frances get a dog. “I adopted Mocha, and she’s really helped me through this,” she said.
Aside from Mocha, what has also helped Frances stay positive and keep a bright outlook is removing negativity from her life. “I couldn’t hear stories about people dying, I couldn’t hear anything negative,” she said. “I had a hard time in one of the groups I joined, because everything was just so depressing.”
Focusing on the Positive
Determined to focus on the positive, Frances started keeping a journal, which eventually led to her writing a blog. Frances’s mother passed away from lymphoma and she remembers that during her mother’s treatment, she was always smiling. “I decided that’s what I’d do, too. When I came to my appointments, I came with a smile,” Frances said.
Moving Forward
“Deep down inside, you know there’s always that chance of recurrence,” she said. “To stay balanced, I stay away from the negative. When I was first diagnosed, I did have a little pity party, but it was just me, when I was trying to figure this all out. But I realized I cannot walk around feeling sorry for myself.”
Frances remembers the promise she made to her mother and encourages others to always get their mammograms. “Our bodies have a lot to do with our health and we neglect the warning signs sometimes,” she said. “But getting your mammogram is so important.”
Statements and opinions expressed are that of the individual and do not express the views or opinions of Susan G. Komen. This information is being provided for educational purposes only and is not to be construed as medical advice. Persons with breast cancer should consult their health care provider with specific questions or concerns about their treatment.
