Sparta woman learns it’s never too late
By Greg England, Staff Writer
greg@myspartanews.com, Published: Monday, April 13, 2009 8:20 AM CDT
White County resident Helen Regas noticed a lump in her breast in 2005 but waited two years to see a doctor about it.
She is like most people. She dreaded even the possibility of cancer. Her fear of the unknown caused her to put it off, hoping it was nothing or that it would go away.
“I had a little lump that I was feeling on the left side, which I left for a long time,” said Regas. “It was my fault. George (her husband) told me and my mother told me I should go. We were talking, and my husband encouraged me to go, don’t be scared. We have to face it – whatever it is.”
The lump did not go away. She wondered how could it happen to her. She never smoked, and there was no family history of cancer.
Helen’s life has always been filled with work and family. Her fear of the truth, which might disrupt or possibly end her life, caused her to delay going to the doctor.
“I talked to my doctor after it happened, and he said, ‘Helen, it’s the reaction of most of the people,’” she said. ‘You’re just scared and put it in the back of your mind and say it’s nothing, you know. Just forget about it, and keep on going.’ I think that’s what I did, and it was my mistake.”
In 2007, Helen went to the doctors at the Breast Cancer Center at Vanderbilt after much prodding from her family, including her daughter and two sons.
Tests results confirmed her fears. She had cancer in both breasts.
“We were petrified,” said Helen. “We called our children to inform them about the bad news. We were all devastated.”
A plan was developed for Helen to start receiving treatments, beginning with the removal of five lymph nodes – three on one side and two on the other.
Cancer attacks different parts of the body by moving through the different systems of the body, like the lymph nodes.
A CAT Scan had revealed trouble with her thyroid and adrenal glands.
“In every case, they treat it differently,” stated Helen. “They thought, in my case, the best thing to do was to have a surgery and take my lymph nodes.”
Her first good news was her lymph nodes were clear.
The possibility of the cancer metastasizing (or spreading) to other areas of her body was greater because it had time to grow and move. Chemotherapy was the next step in her treatment.
“I had to go through more tests and stuff because I delayed it so long,” said Helen. “The chemo was the strongest they could give me. The radiation and all the treatments were stronger.”
Chemotherapy is used to reduce the size of cancer masses and keep it contained so surgery can be used to remove it with a greater chance of getting all of it.
“Some of my chemo treatments did not have side effects, but three sessions were severe,” stated Helen. “I had all the side effects you could imagine: nausea, terrible sensitivity of smell, allergic reaction to the medicine, muscle pain, restless leg syndrome, and more. The most severe side effect that affected me psychologically was the hair loss.”
Helen has always had beautiful, thick hair.
“Standing by the mirror of my bathroom, pulling out big chunks of my hair and throwing it in a little bucket was torture,” said Helen. “I cried as the shower water washed away what was left of my hair.”
After three and a half months of chemo, Helen received surgery to remove the cancerous mass.
“My second surgery came a month after my chemo was completed,” stated Helen. “It was the beginning of November.”
Testing had revealed the cancer in her left breast was the type that could easily metastasize (or spread), while the right breast was not.
Helen was given a choice – mastectomy on both breasts, mastectomy on the left and lumpectomy on the right, or lumpectomy on both. When a mastectomy is performed, the entire breast tissue is removed.
With the help of her family who remained by her side every step of the way, Helen chose to treat both breasts by lumpectomy, which involves removing just the cancerous tissue.
“The most important thing was that it had not spread to any other organs and it was a slow-growing type of cancer,” said Helen.
But news from her doctor after the surgery was the procedure had not completely rid her of the cancer. Another surgery was performed, which was a success.
“I started to have hope again, and my life gradually started to become normal,” stated Helen.
Next, radiation therapy was administered to kill any remaining cancer cells. She received her last radiation treatment in February 2008.
She began regular check-ups every three months. The doctor visits have now been reduced to every six months. That will continue for five years.
“My fight against cancer is not over, but I am a survivor,” stated Helen.
She has several doctors who closely check for any signs of the cancer coming back.
Helen says her family is what has kept her going.
“I have such a great family,” said Helen. “I do it for my husband and my kids, basically. If they were not here, I don’t know if I would do it. But I’m fine. I think that God gives you one thing to try you, then he gives you courage to go through it. That’s what I believe.”
She has recurring muscle and joint pain but she shrugs that off because she knows how blessed she has been.
“Sometimes you forget to enjoy life – the simple things,” stated Helen. “And I believe that’s what it taught me, to enjoy the little things like a beautiful day.”
Helen’s experience has taught her some important lessons. She says being pro-active is the right thing to do.
“People should go and check themselves and don’t wait like me,” said Helen. “I think a lot of women wait, like me, until it’s too late sometimes.”
She explains the fight against cancer depends on early detection and the decision to be checked affects friends and family.
“You have to fight,” stated Helen. “It’s not only you. There are other people around you that care for you and you can’t do that to them. Sometimes you get discouraged and you say, uh, I’m gonna give up. But you can’t give up. You have to fight.”
Helen suggests women should have a yearly mammogram. She offered a phone number for women ages 40 to 64 who have no insurance or a deductible of $1,000 or higher to get help, advice, and even free mammograms. That number is (931) 646-2222.
“I was bad, and that’s why I encourage people to go, because I did the wrong thing myself, and I don’t want other people to go through what I did,” said Helen. “I encourage them to go and go early. One in seven women will have some kind of problem, even if it’s a cyst or it’s not really cancer. But they need to find out and do it early.”
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April 13th, 2009 |
