Survivor Stories

Paula Sheaffer Middletown, PA

          Paula Sheaffer was diagnosed with Intraductal Carcinoma In Situ in May 2000 at the age of 31. She is a registered nurse and the proud mother of a feisty 5-year old named Brooke (who calls her cancer a "boo boo"). Here is her compelling story of how she is battling breast cancer at a remarkably young age.

THE DIAGNOSIS

          Shortly after my daughter was born prematurely at 26 weeks gestation in 1996, I was diagnosed with mastitis (inflammation/ infection of the breast). I battled that for over three years. I noticed that my milk ducts felt like pieces of rope, not a lump. I had a suspicion that something was seriously wrong, but for three years my doctor continued to say, "You're too young.it's just an infection."
          Later, when I had a fever of over 103 and developed a serious staph infection in my milk ducts, my doctor biopsied some sections of my breast. In May 2000, I was finally diagnosed with breast cancer.
           I was completely devastated and broke down in tears. I didn't know what I was going to tell everyone. Hadn't I put my family through enough with the difficult birth of my daughter?

TREATMENT AND RECOVERY

          One month later I was scheduled for a mastectomy, the best form of treatment for my age group. I had to wait a month due to the lingering staph infection. This was the hardest part; knowing the cancer was in there and having to wait. I just wanted to get it off and get it out!
           I received tremendous support from my family and friends, and that's what got me through it. I also go to a support group meeting every month. It's important to be able to talk to other people who have been through this.

LESSONS FROM BREAST CANCER

          When I went back to work, I had to treat three terminal breast cancer patients. Having just been through it, I was able to give them more comfort and empathy. I guess you could say that breast cancer has made me a better nurse in some ways. I now want to tell my story and relive my experience to help others.
          I have learned to keep living every day and to be thankful for everything that I have. All I could think of was not leaving that little girl we worked so hard to bring into the world. This experience has brought me closer to my friends and family.
          Women should not be afraid to ask a lot of questions. If I could go back five years knowing what I know now, I would be more aggressive with my physicians. I am hoping that through my experience, my doctors have learned to be more aggressive with their patients and to listen to them. I also want to let women know that there is no minimum age for breast cancer and to listen to what their bodies are telling them.

          Because of her infection risk, Paula had to wait one year before starting the reconstruction process. She has recently undergone her final reconstructive surgery and is recovering at home. She was too young to meet the criteria for Tamoxifen, and says she is "on nothing except the confidence in my doctors." Paula works as a registered nurse at Masonic Homes in Elizabethtown. You can also see Paula and Brooke on Page 5 of the Spring 2002 issue of Frontline.

To profile someone in "Survivor Spotlight", email Heather Hibshman at heather@pabreastcancer.org.