The Southwest Voice

All > News
TRICIA'S STORY
Topics: SURVIVER.
Posted by PATRICIA Wed May 7, 2008 01:10:30 PDT
Viewed 170 times
0 responses 1 comment

Hello everybody, my name is Patricia Gutierrez and I would like to start out by saying I pray for all who are reading this article, that they would be blessed in all areas of life, physically, mentally, spiritually and would be encouraged by this awesome story of faith, love, unity and courage.

Cancer, unfortunately it’s a word that many of us are all too familiar with.  I personally know seven people who have battled the dreaded disease, most recently my sister-in-law Tricia Velasquez.  Tricia was diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer at age 31!!!  Yes, 31, not the typical age to be concerned with breast cancer right?  So we all thought.  I remember always hearing to start getting mammograms at age 40.  So when Tricia gave us the heartbreaking news of stage 3C breast cancer we were pretty much all in a state of shock. You see this all started in October of  06, Tricia felt pain and a small lump in her breast, but at age 31 she didn’t think it was a big deal.   Maybe it was her hormones out of whack, or slept wrong.  But two weeks passed and it didn’t get any better.  Therefore it became a concern, and the thought crossed her mind, “What if its breast cancer?”  So she made an appointment to see her doctor to be on the safe side.  On October 13, 2006 she shared these concerns with her doctor, his response? “You’re too young for breast cancer.  She had an ultrasound and a mammogram done which revealed she had three masses in her breast, again the doctor reassured her she was too young, and it was just an old infection she probably got during her pregnancy with her one and a  half year old son.  He prescribed her some antibiotics and would follow up with her in a couple of weeks.  Her next appointment was November 23, 2006.  After being on antibiotics from October 13, to November 23, surely the “infection” would be gone, but that wasn’t the case.  Tricia still had pain and noticed her lymph nodes had started to swell.  Once again she was told not to worry, lymph nodes would swell during an infection and there was no need for a biopsy, because she was too young and there was no family history.  So she was kept on antibiotics and was sent on her way. 

Tricia was not happy with that; it was nagging at the back of her mind that something was seriously wrong.  Tricia worked for a local hospice agency, where she had close contact with several physicians here in town.  Still feeling uneasy about her situation she decided to confide in a friend who happened to be one of the physicians she worked with.  As she looked over Tricia, she knew immediately that this was no mere infection.  There was dimpling along side her breast and underarm, she asked if she had a biopsy done yet, which had not been done yet.  Surprised and angered she was on the phone with Tricia’s doctor demanding that a biopsy be performed.  This was all taking place during the holiday season, a time that was typically festive and full of happiness.  But with the constant worry on her mind of not knowing what was wrong, the mood was dampened considerably. She did her best to hide her worry, keeping a smile on her face, and her head up hoping for the best.

Her biopsy appointment was finally here.  It was January 3^rd 2007, her results came back positive for breast cancer; the entire specimen that was removed for the biopsy was edge-to-edge cancer, no clear margins at all. With a little further testing she was given the stage of 3C, cancer is typically staged in four levels 1 being the smallest or locally confined to four being terminal, (spread thru out the body and other organs.) 

Tricia and her husband George began the process of choosing an oncologist that would treat the disease.  After some research and prayer they felt they had the right one.  Her oncologist examined her and reviewed her pathology report; upon review he decided she needed immediate treatment due to the aggressive nature of her particular type of cancer.  The masses had grown from the size of peas in early October, to the size of an orange and the other two the size of walnuts.  She needed preoperative chemo to try and shrink the tumors as much as possible before they could be surgically removed.  Given her age she was deemed the ideal cancer candidate, being that she was young and in good health otherwise, she could stand a more rigorous regimen of chemotherapy.  She was put on a cocktail of three meds, Carboplatin, Taxotere, and Herceptin.  In order to save her veins from the damaging effect of the drugs a port-a-cath was needed, which would require surgery to install.  And thus her treatments began, which would require infusions of this cocktail every three weeks, each session lasting from four to six hours long. 

But before we go any further let me tell you a little about Tricia.  She and her 10-year-old daughter, Shore, (Shorty) have been part of my family for about five years now.  She married my oldest brother George on September 27, 2003. They were a blended family, George with a son from a previous marriage and Trish with a daughter.  17 months later the family of four had a new addition with the birth of their son Ethan George.  To describe Tricia in a nutshell would be impossible, this woman is very strong, courageous, determined, hard working, generous and always seeing the best in others.  She is so brave; this trial has made her stronger than ever.  Determined not to let this beat her she leaned on her faith in Jesus Christ, though she felt alone at times she knew who to keep her eyes on to help get through this.        

As she completed her first round of Chemo, she was able to continue working, but as the second round made its way through her body she was literally bed ridden and unable to work. The poison that was being pumped through her veins was taking a toll on her good cells as well.  By the second dose she started to lose her hair, and show the physical effects of the deadly cocktail vomiting, weakness, dizziness to name a few..  The first few days after the infusion were the worst with lingering effects of the chemo peaking during the second week, just as she started to feel normal the third week, it was time to start the whole process all over again.  It hurt us all to see her this way, especially her mother and father.  I spoke to Mark, her father, about what his thoughts and feelings were during this time,  In a tearful voice he expressed several different emotions that he had from the initial shock and disbelief, to heartbreaking reality that his little girl, whom he affectionately calls “Moose” in regard to her toughness, “tough as a Moose” he chuckled, had stage 3 breast cancer, “I never knew how people felt with cancer,” until he had grim reality of his daughters survival rate of  50 % staring at him in the face. “To be honest with you, I thought I lost my baby, every day was sadder and sadder for me. I didn’t know how to deal with it.”  Mark recalls one night in particular when Trish had a bad reaction to the Chemo; she was lying on the floor with her husband George by her side catching her vomit as she cried out to God for him to take her then and there.  The pain and sickness in her body was too much for her to bear, she couldn’t take two steps without getting nauseated and vomiting.  It was at this moment that Mark felt helpless, staring down at his daughter, “It was the most heart wrenching feeling ever.”  Mark fell deeper into depression, at one point even trying to bargain with God, to “Take me instead of Tricia.” But he knew God didn’t work that way, “God works in mysterious ways.”  Though his wife Lesa and him were very close with 37 years of marriage behind them, they found it difficult to discuss the situation with each other.  They even avoided it sometimes, and when it was impossible to avoid, it brought more pain than comfort.  So they both decided to bring their burden to God, in prayer they laid it at his feet.  Mark tried to remain as strong as he could in front of his daughter although inside he felt like “silly putty.”  When he was out of her presence, at work or at home, is when he vented his feelings, weeping uncontrollably not caring who saw him. “This is an experience that no parent should go through.”  His prayers and heart go out to all who are going through this similar situation.

Lesa, her mother, when asked about her feelings about her daughters diagnosis with stage 3 cancer, replied, “Bad, I felt bad for her and for us, that’s our little girl.”  She felt bad and hurt for her grandkids and son-in-law.  Hearing that she had a fifty percent chance of survival was tough, but Leas knew she had to be strong for Tricia.  She was just as scared as the rest of us, not knowing if the treatments were going to work of not.  But she refused to dwell on the what ifs.  “There is no sense in worrying about it, it was my job to help her get well, and that’s what I proceeded to do.”  She put all the what ifs out of her mind.  Mark and Lesa live next door to Tricia, while George was at work Lesa would be able to help
Tricia with whatever she may have needed.  When asked how she was able to remain strong in front of Tricia, “I would think positive thoughts and pray, never blamed God in any way or got angry with him.  In fact I grew closer to him, asking him to take care of my baby through his power.  Through him all things were possible, however if God took her it would be for a reason, she wouldn’t like it, would miss her, but would find comfort in knowing that God knows what is best for each of us, and who are we to go against Gods plans?”  Lesas’ word of advice for families facing trials like this would be to,” Hang in there, there is power in prayer” 

The reaction of my brother George was the same as the rest of us, shock and disbelief.  “You always hear of the other person having cancer, you never expect to see it at your front door.  Having to watch the love of his life go through this horrible disease was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.”  But my brother didn’t just sit and watch her, he was there to hold her, love her and encourage her.  They had long talk about anything that worried or concerned her, such as their kids and future or any other fears that would try and creep up on them.  Tricia said, “George would squash all the what its that would try and get me down.”  He made sure she took all her meds, and at one point would give her nightly injections that were designed to rebuild her devastated blood count. He protected her through prayer, and was cautious of their surroundings as her immune system was compromised.  He also started juicing fresh fruits and vegetables to help keep her strong, drinking garlic and onion mixes right along with her.  George is her rock, there for her emotionally and physically.

Tricia began losing her hair in clumps, falling out here and there.  George came home, laid his hands on her head and prayed, with a kiss he proceeded to shave the remaining bits of hair.  “Despite my bald look and pale skin, George always made me feel beautiful, no matter what.  Our intimacy never changed, he truly loves me for me, heart and soul.”  When I asked George where he drew his strength from, he replied, “God” He would pray and asked God for mercy for his wife and him so that they would raise their children together.  He also said,” Don’t get me wrong, I have had my moments of weakness, at work I would break down and cry.” Thinking of the possibility of losing his wife, but God would see him through.  George said that God had a plan for Tricia, and that he would use her and her trial to help others.

George knew from the beginning that God had a hand in things, a month before Tricia was diagnosed George was hired on with Oxy, with a schedule and benefits that would allow him to take good care of her. “Gods timing is perfect, and his mercy is certainly here with us all.”

The date now is April 19^th 2007, and Tricia has now completed six rounds of Chemo, and is now having a mastectomy and lymphectomy (27 lymph nodes removed with nine of them positive for cancer). Once that was done she rested for six weeks before resuming the final two rounds of chemo.   But treatment was not done yet, had 34 rounds of radiation to complete.  Treatment consisted of daily doses of radiation that would leave her skin burned and with open sores.  Once radiation was completed she would still receive herceptin infusions every three weeks for one year, herceptin is a targeted therapy that would treat her her2neu status.  After completing her final infusion of herceptin, a PET scan declared her ‘No Evidence Of Disease” or NED, she was dancing with NED as they say, dancing because it may not last forever. “ Personally, I believed that I am healed because of God, it doesn’t matter what science or doctors may say, it WILL last forever.” 

With treatment out of the way it was now time to head down the road to reconstruction, Trish didn’t feel quite right with only one breast, she felt a major part of her and her femininity was missing.   It was bittersweet having her breast removed, not having to worry about the cancer but not liking the way she looked or felt in clothing.  This brought on guilt because here she was alive but now she was dealing with her new physical appearance, it seemed like such an easy trade off, a breast for a life. Tricia said that dealing with the emotions wouldn’t be balanced until the physical and spiritual and emotional aspects all came together.

Reconstruction research began. Since Tricia had radiation therapy her tissue was badly burned and scarred so this meant that the normal way of reconstructing the breast was not an option for her. They had to go with a procedure call the Tram Flap. Where they take the top two Ab muscles and roll them underneath the rib cage and make breast mounds out of them. They then covered the breasts with skin from her lower abdominal area.. While they were performing the surgery they decided to take a sample of the area that had surrounded where the tumor had been just to test it again. The test came back with no microscopic disease. George and Tricia were so Thankful. After a week in hospital she was released and started her recovery.

Tricia is still learning what her “new” normal is. She continues to get healthier as each day passes. She fights back the fears of  the cancer returning. She is learning how to be “normal” sick again. Every cough, cold or ache can lead her thoughts down that path of what if, But she has learned to give it to God..

I asked Tricia what she would like the public to know and she said……” You have to be your own advocate, you have to check yourself and never brush anything off. Never take life for granted and it’s okay to get those 2^nd and 3d opinions as they may save your life . Surround yourself with those people that love you. Tricia surrounded herself with her Husband and children. Her Mom and Dad. Her Mother In law Nilda, Her Mother In law Sandy Bailey and endless other family and friends.

Well I hope that this story has encouraged and brought hope to all who are in the midst of a storm, never give up and never under estimate the power of prayer and the power of the greatest commandment of all LOVE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

 

         

 

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation

Comment From: sunnica

What a touching tribute to the fight against breast cancer. Thank you SO much for sharing this with our readers. I was deeply moved by thee story.