Pink ussino Debra R
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by Debra Russino photo by Andrew Andreozzi
I
will define my story as a sad beginning to a very happy ending. I lost my mother when I was 11 years old in the summer of 1968. Going back to school that September was very hard because I was different from all of the other children. I was a motherless child and wore it like a scarlet letter. There was no denying that I was lost and had to find my own path in life because the glue that held my world together was gone. Growing up without your mother cannot be described. Only those who have experienced this kind of loss could understand and empathize. My mother had the misfortune of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the late 1960s when there was very little knowledge about this dreadful disease. Sadly, she was only 43 years old when she lost her battle, leaving four young children behind. Her untimely passing had a very profound effect on my life and the ominous feeling associated with my mother’s death seemed to follow me around like a black cloud. Writing this story was not easy for me to do because I am a very private person by nature. However, this is a very public disease and if I could reach out to just one person by sharing this chapter of my life, I will consider that a great accomplishment. I had been very diligent with keeping up with my mammogram screenings, but in the summer of 2009, which I always will refer to as “the summer of my discontent,” I also was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, my legacy was not to become my fate. Nothing prepares you to hear the words, “you have cancer.” Forcing you to face your own mortality is a surreal and incomprehensible fact that can only be defined as an out-of-body experience. My life was put on hold and I lost the ability to control my own destiny. Being surrounded by family and constant faith seemed to be my only consolation. I was very blessed to be diagnosed and treated at Pennsylvania Hospital. Dr. Beth Scott was the radiologist who read my mammogram film that day and because of her diligence and intuition that something was not quite right, she decided to follow up with an ultrasound. She was among the very many who saved my life. If she did not go that extra mile, I would have gone down a much more difficult path. Fortunately, I was diagnosed in the very early stages and it made my surgery, recovery and treatment as easy as could be expected. Everyone will tell you that keeping a positive attitude is very important, so once I knew that I was going to be fine, I was able to
focus on the healing process. I was anxious to get back to my normal routine so two weeks after my surgery, I returned to work. I felt as though I had hit the lottery because health is the ultimate wealth! I had a lumpectomy and required six and a-halfweeks of radiation. Although the technicians told me I would be very tired, I never felt more energized. I was on top of the world! It had been a very stressful time, but having the very best caring for me helped to alleviate the anxiety. Dr. Dahlia Sataloff is the breast surgeon who performed my surgery. Dr. Sataloff has been named one of the top doctors in the country, recognized in Philadelphia Magazine and Newsweek, just to name a few. I will be eternally grateful for her expertise. It is amazing how much I did not know about the medical profession. Having experienced it firsthand, I can see the hard work and dedication our unsung heroes put into the care of their patients. Dr. Lee Hartner, my Medical Oncologist, has earned many awards not only for being one of the top doctors in Philadelphia, but also noted for his unwavering compassion. Dr. Hartner is a truly caring person and that is very crucial in the midst of the angst and uncertainty felt by his patients. I am still in the care of these outstanding individuals and this provides me with a huge sense of security knowing that I have the very best. The only advice I could offer women today is to get checkups and mammograms yearly. Without fail! There is a very old but popular phrase spoken time and time again. “You only live once.” We could choose to live every day to its fullest because the reality is, you only have to die once. I am very happy to announce that I am a seven-year survivor. Life will always be my choice. With all of the brilliant doctors, innovative research and strives for a cure, the supporters, the walks and the hope-springs-eternal second chances, we all will get the results we deserve to have. Someday, something will lead us down the path of freedom and the end to breast cancer. I would like to dedicate this story to a very special woman. She is someone who is close to my heart yet far from my memory. She has made me the person I am today. She has inspired me to use words to express my feelings. She is my inner voice and the source of my courage and strength. She is a young soul and my eternal light. She is the angel on my shoulder, my beloved mother Rose. prh
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