Survivor Stories 2015:
Jane Parker
1. How did you first find out you had cancer?
I found out from a mammogram. They saw something that looked suspicious and did a biopsy right then so I knew right away.
2. How did you react when you heard the news?
I think I was numb because I was surprisingly calm and said to myself you have no choice but to deal with this and accept it.
3. What cause of treatment were you prescribed?
I was told to have a lumpectomy and then since it hadn’t spread to my lymph nodes, i just had radiation, no chemotherapy and no medications.
4. What most surprised you about your treatment?
I was told I might become tired from the radiation, but I was surprised at just how tired it made me after the first three weeks of daily treatments, and surprised how many months it took afterwards to regain my strength.
5. What is your advice to anyone who has just received a cancer diagnosis?
I would suggest they get a second or even a third opinion as to what type of treatment to undergo. Read up as much as possible on your type of cancer, be as informed as you can and be positive about the outcome.
6. How long have you been cancer free?
I have been cancer free for 21 years now.
7. What lessons did you learn from the experience?
I learned many lessons. I learned to accept love and caring from others, something I was used to giving but not accepting as readily. I learned not to sweat the small things in life and to realize what it truly important. I also learned to appreciate all I had and to appreciate simple things like nature and this incredible world in which we live. Everything became more beautiful to me and more precious. I enjoyed life more, so in that sense, cancer can have its benefits. I truly believe we can choose to see anything that happens to us as the glass half full or the glass half empty. I always try to choose the glass half full.
8. If you could send one message to all the Good Enough Mothers out there, what would it be?
I would tell them that life is worth fighting for, that a positive attitude is so important no matter what befalls you, and that the best medicine is to love oneself and others and to be loved.
Jane Parker is a competitive dancers at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Rochester, NY. On October 4th, she performed in the 3rd annual Dancers Fighting Cancer, a fundraising showcase featuring local breast cancer survivors paired with professional dancers from Fred Astaire Dance Studio. All proceeds benefited Embrace Your Sisters a local organization that provides individuals in active treatment for breast cancer with emergency financial assistance, education and informational services.
To learn more, visit www.embraceyoursisters.org.
