Tami Purcell’s breast cancer diagnosis
provides a perfect example of why it is important to get yearly
mammograms. Tami said, “I hadn’t had a mammogram for 3 years when I
found a large lump in my armpit.”
After a diagnostic mammogram and biopsy, Tami said, “I found out the
week before Thanksgiving in 2023 that I had Triple Negative Breast
Cancer. I didn’t have a family history of breast cancer and honestly
never thought it would happen to me. Triple Negative Breast Cancer
spreads quickly and has a very high risk of recurrence. Mine was in
my breast and lymph nodes. Annual mammograms would have caught it
before it spread to my lymph nodes.”
Three days before Christmas of 2023, Tami started chemotherapy and
immunotherapy. She said, “I went through 6 months of chemo before
having surgery in June of 2024. I was very blessed during chemo,
other than hair loss and fatigue, my side effects were minimal
compared to others.”
After Tami healed from surgery, which was a lumpectomy with lymph
node removal, she did 30 rounds of radiation. Tami said, “radiation
was the toughest part of treatment for me. The burns from radiation
vary from patient to patient and mine were severe, they looked
similar to second degree burns and very painful. I finished
radiation in October and had my last immunotherapy in November.”
To communicate what was going on
with her cancer treatments, Tami used CaringBridge. In a December 7,
2024, CaringBridge post, Tami described how she felt when her
immunotherapy ended. Tami said, “As I was leaving at the end of my
treatment, all of the staff lined up to stand with me as I rang the
bell on my final treatment. I hadn’t anticipated that, or the
mixture of smiles and tears they each had.
[to top of second column] |
If anyone in the treatment room was
napping, they got a somewhat rude awakening when I held that bell
over my head and rang it good. That was followed by tears, hugs, and
laughs.”
In the same post Tami expressed
gratitude for the staff at the Illinois Cancer Center. She said,
“those women at the Illinois Cancer Center in Pekin are truly
remarkable humans. While they all told me how inspiring I was
throughout this last year, they are the ones who made each visit
something to look forward to. They have incredibly difficult jobs.
They treat their patients and families as their own family, and they
grieve the losses and celebrate the victories right along with us.”
Fortunately, Tami’s outcome was good. She said, “I had a complete
response to chemo, when they did surgery, there was no residual
disease, and my margins were clear. I consider my surgery date, June
21, 2024, my anniversary of being cancer free.”
For the first three years after treatment, Tami will see her
oncologist every three months, have a mammogram every six months,
and have an MRI every six months. She said, “each time one of those
mammograms or MRIs comes around, I do feel a little anxiety because
the risk is much higher that the cancer will return.”
A positive attitude is helpful to those who are facing health
issues, and Tami stayed positive throughout her treatments. Tami
said, “I had faith from the very beginning that I was going to be
fine. I had a strong support system and prayer warriors all over the
country. The love and prayers from others fueled my faith, hope, and
courage. I also had a wonderful care team and if I should have to
take this journey again one day, I know I will be in great hands.”
[Angela Reiners]
 |
