Carool's Journey with Invasive (Infiltrating) Ductal Carcin...

Thanks to the gifted Alexandra Heerdt, M.D., and her team at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, I had excellent surgical treatment.

Able to work; able to paint in studio; never felt 100% good (often queasy, bad taste in mouth, etc.); had four A/C treatments, each three weeks apart. Hairless. Wouldn't wanna do it again but managed to carry on.

I enrolled in this genetic testing on the recommendation of my breast surgeon. I learned that I have neither BRCA gene mutation.

I joined the Adjuvant Treatment weekly support group at MSKCC during the three months of my chemo treatments. This group was led at that time by Roz Kleban and Susan Glazer, LMSWs who were very skilled and encouraging leaders. The group was for non-metastatic breast cancer patients and open to anyone, free of charge, whether or not the person was an MSKCC patient. I found the group discussions extremely helpful while I was in treatment and for a year or so afterwards.