Carol's Story

Today's post is from Carol. Carol says "I'm a painter and digital printmaker, a native Brooklynite who will live in Brooklyn until death do us part.  I live with my boyfriend.  I'm a firm liberal; love cats, good TV, social media, books, food, and lots more.  I'm glad to be alive."

Here is what she has to say about breast cancer:


I was diagnosed sixteen years ago with stage 1 breast cancer (I was fifty-one at the time).  I'm a Brooklynite and was able to get treatment at MSKCC.  I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy (outpatient).  My tumor turned out to be triple positive.

Because my cancer was HER2-positive, I had four rounds of A/C, but I didn't need Taxol.  At that time, Herceptin was being given to only metastatic b.c. patients.  I had radiation as well.

Five years of Tamoxifen followed by five years of Femara.

Having cancer and then undergoing treatment was, of course, life-altering (at least at that time).  I was able to work (part-time, as I had been doing all along), do my artwork (I'm a painter and, now, a Photoshop printmaker), and socialize.  I want to never again have to go through that (obviously), but I always am expecting that, someday, I may develop another cancer.

I credit the amazing medical team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for saving my life, and many, many other lives.

{Brandie}, I wish you the best.

Sincerely,

Carol