How do you survive the shock and challenge of cancer treatment when you’re just 35? Newly married, new to town, young and healthy — Justine was not expecting to get cancer. In fact, when she got called back after her first mammogram , she wasn’t worried. She put off getting her second scan for 6 months.
The results of that second scan completely shocked Justine. Suddenly, she had to worry about the ordeal of breast cancer treatment.
Alison Hall, RN, a breast cancer nurse coordinator, played an important role in supporting Justine through chemo. Here, we share:
- 3 keys to getting through breast cancer treatment
- Allison's personal account of support Justine through the challenges of chemo
- A video of Justine's story
The 3 Keys to Making It Through Breast Cancer Treatment: The Right Support Makes All the Difference
Learn everything you can. Patient education resources sound dry and boring. But learning about your disease can give you a better grip on what you’re going through. It can help you feel more in control to understand why and how cancer treatment works.
Lean on others for support. Justine was new in town. She didn’t have family or friends to turn to. But at UVA Cancer Center, the nurse coordinator filled in this gap. They touched base in person and in-between appointments. Justine also got connected to the available psychologists. Getting through something like cancer requires a lot of energy and strength. You can help yourself by letting others help you.
Listen to your body. Justine’s nurse helped her track her side effects. Chemo can cause a range of symptoms, from pain and nausea to hair loss and swelling. Paying attention to how these issues improved or worsened helped Justine communicate when she needed more support. At UVA Health, we have several programs for all kinds of side effects, including massage. This also gave her a chance to really practice self-care.
How a Nurse Care Coordinator Made All the Difference
I see patients with both early and late-stage breast cancer.
I met Justine, early in her trajectory for breast cancer treatment. She had recently had surgery. She was coming to us learning that she would be recommended to complete chemotherapy. I think this was a surprise to Justine. And as for many of my patients, this is weighty news. News that they need to process. It can come with lots of emotional responses.
Justine and I spent a lot of time problem solving barriers in her journey. We came up with lots of solutions, including patient education and ongoing touching base. We used a platform where she was able to rate her side effects on a day-to-day basis.
So, as a nurse care coordinator, one of my roles is to help facilitate connections to support services. In Justine's situation, I was able to connect her with our psychology services, to start a flourishing relationship.
With each chemotherapy session, Justine and I would get a face-to-face moment where we could talk about her side effect burden. In between her visits, we would often connect by phone or electronic messaging to keep up to date with how she was doing.
Justine was eager to approach this situation and challenge wholeheartedly. She recognized within herself that there were some challenges that that she had, both internal and external, along with treatment. She was eager to prioritize her care and get back to being her best self.
-Allison Hall, Cancer Care Nurse Coordinator
Justine’s Story: One Woman’s Story of Being Young With Breast Cancer
In this video, Justine talks about her battle with an aggressive cancer.
