Jackie Cade, 42 years old
Wife and mother of two children
Contract Security officer for Delta Air Lines at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson
International Airport
Breast cancer survivor
“I discovered a lump in my left breast at the age of 37. I hesitated to go to
the doctor because of fear. I was afraid of what was there. So, I waited another
month, gave myself another breast examination and discovered the same lump, so I
went to my doctor. She gave me a breast exam and felt the lump. At the time, she
wasn’t sure as to what it was, so she referred me to a specialist.
They did a biopsy and took x-rays and then they discovered that the lump was
cancerous, and that it needed to be removed, because it had started to spread
into my lymph nodes. I had eleven lymph nodes removed, of which nine were
cancerous. At that point, I chose the mastectomy because I didn’t want to go
through the same thing again with my left breast. After my surgery, I took eight
treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. Mentally, financially and emotionally
my experience was draining, not only for me, but for my family and friends.
My advice to others that may be going through the same thing is to get your
mammograms. If you feel a lump, don’t be afraid and don’t put it off! Go to your
doctor. I believe that had I not hesitated, my problem may not have been as bad
as it was.
Also, I’d like to share that it is a very scary experience, but talking to other
breast cancer survivor patients can really help you get through it. I met a lady
that had both of her breast removed. She looked great. She continued to
encourage me by telling me that everything was going to be alright. This really
touched me, because just when I thought that my situation was bad, I realized
that she’d gone through much more than I had with getting both of her breasts
removed. So just talking and sharing with another cancer survivor,
one-on-one, really helped me to get through.
It’s been four years since my surgery. I’ve been back at work for three years
and I’m doing fine. I have to take Tamoxifen daily for five years. It helps to
keep cancer cells from reoccurring, because the first five years are the most
crucial years.
I must say that Dr. Spinolo and the entire Oncology team at Southern Regional
has been wonderful, especially Darryl on the fourth floor. During my hospital
visits, he’s always been very nice and very accommodating. And the Clinical
Trials team is excellent. They are always willing to help with any little thing
that I need. The whole team has been very encouraging.”
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