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073: Stephanie Smith survived breast cancer | Chemotherapy | Vermont Cancer Support Network
In today’s @CancerInterviews podcast, Stephanie Smith tells host Bruce Morton how she survived breast cancer. She was pregnant when she discovered a lump on her breast. This led to a biopsy, which revealed a 4cm tumor. After a difficult chemotherapy regimen, Stephanie achieved survivorship. Her energy level is decreased, but otherwise, she says her health is very close to what it was before her diagnosis.
Stephanie Smith of Montpelier, Vermont was the one who discovered what turned out to be a diagnosis of breast cancer. She was pregnant with a son and only a few weeks from having him. As a result, she was regularly seeing an OB/GYN, who after checking Stephanie out, ordered an ultrasound, then sent Stephanie to a surgeon to get a biopsy.
Because Stephanie was 36 weeks pregnant, and 29 years old, the surgeon did not want to do the biopsy. He didn’t want the biopsy to hitting a milk duct, suggesting the procedure wait until Stephanie was done breast feeding. However, Stephanie insisted on the biopsy, as the tumor was already 4cm. The biopsy resulted in her breast cancer diagnosis. The very next day, she went right back to work.
Before surgery to remove the tumor, Stephanie Smith opted to go on chemotherapy. She went on four rounds every other week, then went on a second set of four rounds with a different cocktail. It was an aggressive regimen, but because she was young, doctors wanted to hit the cancer as hard as possible.
Stephanie suffered from the same cognitive issues as many do on chemotherapy, all this while pregnant. After she gave birth, she credits her son and caring for him as being helpful in the remainder of her treatment, which at this point included radiation treatment.
In addition to friends and family, she was helped out by the Vermont Cancer Support Network. It connected her with survivors also going through cancer. She especially appreciates VCSN connecting her with cancer survivors who were in her age group.
As for her current health, Stephanie admits there are changes that come with getting older and with having a baby. As a result, her ability to cardio decreased, but she says for the most part, she can physically do what she did before her diagnosis.
Additional Resources:
Support Group: Vermont Cancer Support Network
https://[email protected]
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By Jim Foster
5
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In today’s @CancerInterviews podcast, Stephanie Smith tells host Bruce Morton how she survived breast cancer. She was pregnant when she discovered a lump on her breast. This led to a biopsy, which revealed a 4cm tumor. After a difficult chemotherapy regimen, Stephanie achieved survivorship. Her energy level is decreased, but otherwise, she says her health is very close to what it was before her diagnosis.
Stephanie Smith of Montpelier, Vermont was the one who discovered what turned out to be a diagnosis of breast cancer. She was pregnant with a son and only a few weeks from having him. As a result, she was regularly seeing an OB/GYN, who after checking Stephanie out, ordered an ultrasound, then sent Stephanie to a surgeon to get a biopsy.
Because Stephanie was 36 weeks pregnant, and 29 years old, the surgeon did not want to do the biopsy. He didn’t want the biopsy to hitting a milk duct, suggesting the procedure wait until Stephanie was done breast feeding. However, Stephanie insisted on the biopsy, as the tumor was already 4cm. The biopsy resulted in her breast cancer diagnosis. The very next day, she went right back to work.
Before surgery to remove the tumor, Stephanie Smith opted to go on chemotherapy. She went on four rounds every other week, then went on a second set of four rounds with a different cocktail. It was an aggressive regimen, but because she was young, doctors wanted to hit the cancer as hard as possible.
Stephanie suffered from the same cognitive issues as many do on chemotherapy, all this while pregnant. After she gave birth, she credits her son and caring for him as being helpful in the remainder of her treatment, which at this point included radiation treatment.
In addition to friends and family, she was helped out by the Vermont Cancer Support Network. It connected her with survivors also going through cancer. She especially appreciates VCSN connecting her with cancer survivors who were in her age group.
As for her current health, Stephanie admits there are changes that come with getting older and with having a baby. As a result, her ability to cardio decreased, but she says for the most part, she can physically do what she did before her diagnosis.
Additional Resources:
Support Group: Vermont Cancer Support Network
https://[email protected]