Not only has Liza Fues twice survived breast cancer, but her journey took place in 1980s and 90s, when the health care community knew far less about curing the disease than it does today. 

Liza underwent a biopsy in 1985.  Doctors knew that her tumor was rather large, so they chose to perform a surgical biopsy, thinking there was nothing for Liza to worry about.  However, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and when on a regimen of chemotherapy.

 

Liza had plenty of support from friends in Dallas, and for six months, her mother flew down from Pittsburgh once a month.  Nonetheless, she had to deal with chemotherapy by herself.  She said it made her really sick, which she expected.  Once a month she would go in for the treatment on a Friday, feel really sick well into Saturday, a little bit better on Sunday, and go to work on Monday.  That she was able to bounce back so quickly was aided by her being 25. 

 

Hair loss was a problem for Liza, as it is for many women dealing with chemo.  She did buy some wigs, but hated the way they made her look.

 

In 1990, Liza was again diagnosed with breast cancer, and again, had to deal with chemotherapy.  With the first diagnosis, she remembers having heartburn all the time and being restricted to eating extremely bland foods.  With the second diagnosis, she experienced a great deal of nausea, which she said was worse.  With both experiences, there was constant fatigue.

 

The second diagnosis for Liza Fues was capped by a mastectomy with reconstruction.  This included a procedure called leptosome torsi, also known as a backflap, in which an incision was made in her back and part of her leptosome muscle was removed and tucked under the skin and anchored in the front to provide a new blood supply to the reconstructed breast.  Her breast cancer surgeon said this was an ambitious procedure, but that she was 25 and healthy, enhancing the possibility of her healing in full.

 

Liza Fues is glad she is not getting diagnosed today, but if she were, there are questions she would ask that she didn’t think of in 1985.

 

She would ask to have all her treatment options explained, what they entail and what life would be like after treatment, everything from the biopsy to the recommended treatment.  Liza also suggests getting a second opinion, not out of distrust for her doctor, but just to get input from multiple points of view.  She also says unlike 1985, there are ways to get educated online from reputable sources like the National Cancer Institute or the American Cancer Society. 

 

By way of advice, Liza says hope is very important, to learn how to ask for help, and when it is available to accept help.

 

Additional Resources:

 

The George Washington University Cancer Center: https://www.cancercenter.gwu.edu