Four years ago, Tricia
Russo seemed to have it all going for her. Having just turned 30, she was
happily married, living in Los Angeles and working a dream job in development
at Walt Disney Motion Pictures. She and her husband were excitedly looking to
the future, anticipating the purchase of a home and beginning a family.
Then Tricia found a
lump on her breast.
At her first visit to
her general practitioner, she was told that no testing was needed- she was
young, had no family history and no other symptoms. She went to her gynecologist
for a second opinion and was told the same thing. But a few months later when
she started experiencing pain in her breast that extended into her armpit, she
went back to her GP and was sent for a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. Tricia
had Stage IIb breast cancer.
Tricia was ready to
jump into treatment, but with her desire to have children one day, she first consulted
with a fertility specialist about harvesting her eggs. She was advised,
however, that the risk of delaying treatment was too great. She began a series
of 12 chemotherapy infusions, starting with AC (Adriamycin and
cyclophosphamide) chemo and ending with T-Taxol. In May of 2012, Tricia
underwent a single mastectomy, which was then followed by weekly radiation.
Tricia was lucky to
have a lot of support during her treatment. Her family from New Jersey rented a
small studio around the corner from her place in LA, and members took turns
flying out to help. She was able to continue to work, and her oncologist was
conveniently located across the street from her office.
Tricia completed her
treatment and couldn’t wait to move forward after one more year of hormone
therapy. However, in February 2013, while visiting her family in New Jersey,
she began experiencing extreme headaches. An MRI revealed a brain tumor and she
was rushed into surgery. Partial radiation then followed.
Now with a Stage IV
diagnosis, Tricia knew her life would never be the same. She would no longer be
able to have children of her own. She made the decision to leave her stressful
career and move to New Jersey to be closer to her family, while her husband
remained in LA.
For a few years,
Tricia worked for her family’s real estate company in New Jersey. She and her
husband made the best of their bi-coastal marriage, with frequent flights back
and forth as well as meeting in exciting locations like Peru, Paris and
Ireland. They continued to think often about starting a family.
For a period of time
in 2014, Tricia considered going against medical advice and going off of her
medications so she could attempt in vitro fertilization. But before she could
proceed, she experienced another recurrence in her brain and underwent gamma
knife surgery. During this time, Tricia decided to start filming her journey.
Tricia has now been
stable for almost two years. She is back living in LA, in a house that she and
her husband recently purchased. She continues to take Tamoxifen daily and
receives Lupron injections every three months.
She is monitored with brain scans four times a year and a mammogram and
MRI of the chest, abdomen and pelvis once a year.
In the last year,
Tricia and her husband found an egg donor and a surrogate and are hopeful to
make their wish for a family come true. They have also started a non-for profit
organization called the Cyan Gray Hope Foundation to help fund their
documentary, detailing their story through cancer and fertility challenges.
Tricia is hopeful that this film will act as a resource for other women like
her, one that wasn’t available to her when she was searching for information.
A dramatic change from
her old 12-hour workdays, Tricia now works from home. She still does brochure
work for her family business remotely, but dedicates a good portion of her day
to producing her documentary. Tricia recognizes the importance of fueling her
body with proper nutrition and exercise like yoga. She teaches meditation and
vision boarding workshops to others. She takes time to enjoy dinners with
friends and snuggling her two puppies.
Tricia advises other
women with Metastatic Breast Cancer to listen to their hearts and maintain hope
as they live out each day though it may not always feel easy. “Sure, fear of
mortality creeps in here and there,” she says, “but I have found that if I
focus on all the good in my life and the hope that I still have for my future,
the fear monster goes away.”
A diagnosis of Metastatic Breast Cancer is life-altering.
From big things like your career and family to the minutiae of your daily
routine, you will likely find that you need to step back and re-evaluate your
life. Yet as Tricia’s story so powerfully points out, even though things may
change, you can still live a full and meaningful life.
Let’s take a look at some of the areas you will want to
address as you create your new normal and learn how to manage your life with
breast cancer.
Organize your medical
affairs
- Create a calendar, whether written or electronic, to schedule both medical appointments and daily affairs.
- Set a reminder on your phone or watch for taking medications
- Set-up pharmacy auto-refills to keep prescriptions filled
- Sort your meds into a daily pill dispenser at the start of each week
Some other things to consider include:
Dealing with medical bills can be another source of stress.
Unfortunately, it often falls on the patient to make sure insurance claims are
handled properly, so make sure you understand your coverage and review your
bills carefully. When you are in the throes of treatment, this may seem overwhelming,
so ask a family member or someone you trust to help with this if you need it.
And if medical costs seem to be more than you can afford,
please seek assistance. No one should ever have to forgo treatment because they
cannot afford it. There are resources
available to make sure you get the care that you need.
Nurture your
relationships
It is normal to for your
relationships to be affected while dealing with the physical and emotional
strain of metastatic breast cancer, but try to not let yourself push others
away. Draw your loved ones near, share your feelings, and use them as your support.
If you have children, this can feel extra challenging. As a
parent, your instinct is to protect them from pain and shield them from hard
times, but know that they are not immune to what is going on around them. Make
sure your children know that they can express their feelings. Do your best to
keep them aware of what to expect and what might change.
Fuel your body and mind
What you put into your body is more important now than ever.
Help strengthen your body during and after treatment by fueling it with a
healthy diet. You can click here to find more
information about providing your body with the nutrition it needs.
Your mental health is just as important. From yoga, to
meditation, to church or support groups, find what keeps you mentally balanced and make it
a priority.
Evaluate your career
You may need to make some decisions regarding what you want
to do or are capable of doing job-wise. Does your career bring you a lot of
joy, or does it cause unnecessary stress? Are you able to work from home or
take off on treatment days? This answer will be different for every woman, but
the important lesson here is to find the proper balance. It might be time to make
a change, and that is OK. Or perhaps you might find that you are already right
where you want to be.
Look at the big
picture
What is most important to you in your life? What is on your
bucket list? What do you still want to accomplish? You don’t have to do it all tomorrow, but
start taking active steps towards it. Make the most of every day by filling it
with moments to cherish. Let go of the
things that are bringing you down. Celebrate your life and the lives you have
touched.
No one ever said living with Metastatic Breast Cancer is
easy, but there are certainly things you can do along the way to lighten your
load. Continue to refer to the
Tigerlily Foundation for support and education along the way. We are
committed to being here for you.
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