“To breast cancer, we want to put an end to you,” says survivor Sarella Singer
She couldn’t feel anything. No lump or any other visible sign of breast cancer. Neither did her doctor.
Sarella Singer was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2019 after having a standard screening — a mammogram. Following ultrasound and biopsy, Sarella was called back to the hospital for a follow-up consultation. She knew then that something was wrong.
With no history of breast cancer in the family, Sarella braced herself for the bad news that was about to follow. The doctor confirmed that unfortunately, she had breast cancer.
Even in the worst scenario, there can be good news. In terms of breast cancer, the stage and type are important. In Sarella’s case, they diagnosed her with stage 1, triple positive. Triple-positive is known as the ‘good’ kind of breast cancer because they are usually very responsive to medical treatment.
What is triple positive breast cancer?
Triple-positive refers to breast tumors that are ER-, PR- and HER2-positive, meaning the cancer cells grow in response to estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and a growth-promoting protein that’s on the outside of all breast cells known as HER2. Although these cancers grow and spread quickly, medical treatment is often very effective. Thanks to screening, Sarella was diagnosed at an early stage.
Being diagnosed with cancer changes your life. For Sarella, one of the first hurdles to overcome was to break the news to her family, friends and colleagues. Even though sharing the news was difficult, this would help Sarella to get the additional support and help she needed.
Although Sarella embarked on a daunting path, she felt that she was in good hands for the entire journey. The treatment prescribed involved surgery to remove the tumor, chemotherapy to kill any additional cancer cells and radiation therapy to prevent it from coming back. Her surgery took place a couple of weeks after her initial diagnosis. Sarella then endured twelve weeks of chemotherapy treatment and finally five weeks of radiation therapy. With the treatments came regular blood tests and lots of time spent in hospital.
Key to enduring treatment was being surrounded by a caring community. Sarella found that the love that came from her family, friends, colleagues, and social circle was very emotionally healing. People would cook food and she said she could feel “the love from the cook through their meals”. Your relatives become your pillar in moments like this and are as important as the treatment to overcome it.”
When the chemotherapy started, Sarella lost her hair in the third week of treatment. She didn’t like wigs so decided to wear beanie hats. On March 12, 2020, she completed her last round of chemotherapy. Two months later, her hair grew back again but most importantly, Sarella became and still remains cancer-free!
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month Sarella’s message is simple: “Get screened, get educated and do a monthly self-test”
