May 18, 2014
Breast Cancer: One Woman's Fight for Life
By Kelly-Ann Brown
Shakiea McCook's number one concern was not being there for her daughter. PHOTO: Courtesy
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - She lay in bed restless, anxious and exhausted. It was 4 a.m. in the morning and Shakiea McCook couldn’t sleep.
The entity disrupting her rest would not let her go. Her 5-year-old daughter was sleeping peacefully and their dog was barking relentlessly. In hopes of calming her mind, she took the dog outside and got a head start on her day. While in the bathroom, she casually examined her breasts. That’s when she felt it.
In her left breast, stubborn and unmoving, there was the lump that would change her life forever. Though panicked over what it could be, she resolved to get the answer. As a woman, she understood her body and had no doubt that something was off. That morning she made an appointment with her doctor for the next day.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute, one in eight women who live to be 80 years old will develop cancer in her lifetime.
However, there are staggering differences between the instances of new cancer cases and the survival rate between White women and African-American women. Though White women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, overall, African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer, according to U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics.
Shakiea McCook, a processing associate from Philadelphia, Pa., was only 27 years old when she was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. A tumor was found in each breast: the left was stage three and the right was stage two.
She recalls her initial concern: “Dying,” she replied with no hesitation, “Not being here for my daughter.”
At 27, most women are not concerned with the possibility of having cancer and all that it entails. In fact, the chances of such an occurrence is extremely low, with only 5 percent of breast cancer cases occurring in women under 40 years old, according to statics from Cleveland Clinic.
After the results from her needle laceration, her doctor was not satisfied with the inconclusive results. Unable to determine whether the growth was benign or malignant, Shakiea’s doctor ordered a biopsy for further cell and issue sample and a BRCA gene test to conlcude if she carried a hereditary mutation of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene.
Her biopsy revealed that she did have breast cancer. The results of her genetics test proved she also had a BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation, concluding that her cancer was hereditary. The risk of a woman developing breast cancer with a BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation is 55-65 percent and 45 percent respectively - and Shakiea had both.
“Because I tested positive for both, a mastectomy was highly recommended… [that way] the chances of getting it again are decreased.”
After being urged by family and friends to seek a second opinion, Shakiea made an appointment with the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. The second diagnosis not only gave her certainty about her condition, but helped her choose the facility she would go to for treatment.
“When I met the team at Fox Chase I knew that’s where I belonged. It just felt right.”
Finding the appropriate treatment facility is extremely important to a patient’s well-being. Experts agree a patient’s trust and comfort with the treatment facility can alleviate the some of the stress associated with treating cancer.
Considering the stages of her cancer, Shakiea’s team at Fox Chase decided she would need aggressive chemotherapy before a mastectomy would be performed.
“My biggest concern was not being here for my daughter. That’s how I felt. What if it didn't work? That’s what hurt me the most; nothing meant more to me than that.”
In addition to raising her daughter, Shakiea had also started a new job and was concerned with taking time off for treatment while trying to establish herself at a new company.
The company gave her the option to take time off. But she said she “needed to feel as normal as possible…So I decided to work and still go through treatment, which is one of the hardest things I could have done. If I knew then what I know now, I definitely would not have made that decision.”
Preparing for the physical and mental toll that chemotherapy would have on one’s body is impossible, mainly because some of the reactions are unpredictable.
“After about two weeks I started to lose my hair,” Shakiea said.
There has always been a debate on the definition of femininity and womanhood; what makes a woman a woman and who decides. Many carry different views regarding whether the loss of features such as breasts and hair, translates to a loss of womanhood. Although physical attributes are not the determining factor in a woman’s femininity, it does not make the loss of such features any less traumatic.
“The two things I loved [about my appearance] were the two things I lost,” she said quietly. “I felt embarrassed. Growing up West Indian [you’re told] your beauty was your hair…and here I am without my beauty.”
She began to realize that chemotherapy had many side effects: including fatigue, nausea and vomiting, dry skin, cracked nails and possible nerve damage according to cancercare.org. Shakiea felt like she was experiencing all of them at once. Though she expressed her concern, her doctor did not want to reduce treatment and run the risk of the cancer spreading.
The side effects were “inhibiting me from doing normal things,” says Shakiea. “One morning I tried to button up [my daughter’s] uniform and I started crying because I couldn't do it. She told me it was going to be okay and took her time and did it herself…We both had to grow and learn at the same time.”
After extensive treatment, a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, Shakiea has been cancer free for three years. She continues to have follow-up appointments every three to four months. Expressing that her experience has opened her eyes to so much.
“Life is too short and you just have to be happy… I just want to grow old, get married and live life.”