This post is sponsored by HCA Health Midwest.
Sheila Richmeier started her journey with metastatic breast cancer in 2017. She is now an advocate and mentor to those with metastatic breast cancer, providing an understanding ear and a special awareness that was hard for her to find early on.
When I found a lump in January of 2017, I went to the doctor thinking it was no big deal. I was in the prime of my business, working, traveling twice a month, not even thinking about this. And you never really do, until it hits you in the face – and then you stop.
I was sent to radiology. They couldn’t find the lump on a mammogram, but they could find it on sonogram. That’s when I found out that mammography often doesn’t show lumps if you have dense breasts.
My lumpectomy came back as cancer, and I soon met my oncologist at Menorah Medical Center. The initial treatment plan included three to four months of chemotherapy, along with an an MRI to make sure the cancer wasn’t anywhere else in my body.
At the end of my appointment, the Nurse Practicioner who did the education, went to check my MRI results. When she came back, she said, “It’s in your lymph nodes, and it looks like it’s in your sternum.”
It was probably one of the worst days of my life.
An x-ray, and CT scan of my chest, pelvis and bone scan revealed there was cancer in my spine from the cervical all the way down to my lumbar, and in a lymph node. More testing showed the cancer was HER2+, a cancer that progresses quickly.
Treatment
For the next eight months, I went through chemotherapy and targeted treatment. I was told I would be on treatment the rest of my life because the cancer was metastatic. My oncologist gave me a life expectancy of three to four years. After treatment, we agreed that we would take out the lump, and I went back in for surgery.
I continued on targeted treatment. But, I was tired all the time, and couldn’t seem to exercise. Something was not right. My medical team ordered an MRI of the brain and a CT of the abdomen, and I ended up being diagnosed with cancer spreading to the brain.
When I asked my oncologist, she said I may have one to two years. I changed medicine, did radiation of the brain, but eventually doctors found three instances of brain metastatic cancer.
I then had a craniotomy, in which an excellent neurosurgeon, Dr. John Clough removed what they thought was just scar tissue and dead cells. I’ve had no new recurrences of cancer since August 2019.
I think you could call me a survivor. I did treatment for five years with no recurrence, and I will stay at Menorah because I have a fantastic team from neurosurgeon to oncology.
Cancer support makes all the difference in surviving
When I got done with my initial treatment, I became a peer-to-peer counselor for METAvivor. I started meeting monthly with other women who have metastatic breast cancer. The three people I first met, all of them died. Now on my third group of women, everyone is doing very well. That’s because of research and improvement in treatment.
First, yes, metastatic breast cancer seems like a death sentence. But you can survive breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer – it’s not a death sentence anymore.
Second, I wouldn’t have made it without family and friends. Your support groups are incredibly important. My sisters would go with me to my chemo sessions. My husband Brad was able to take time to help me and encourage me to exercise even through chemo. I couldn’t have made it without him.
Understand your body and have awareness
Women really need to understand their bodies and when something doesn’t feel right, speak out, tell someone. I would have never found the brain metastases if I hadn’t. By the time they showed up with distinct symptoms, I would have been dead. Trust your body, trust your instincts.
It’s important to have kindness and awareness that not everyone’s going to finish treatment. All the work about getting healed and getting finished with treatment didn’t really apply to me. There were very few resources for people who have metastatic breast cancer. It felt like the message was “you did this to yourself because you didn’t get tested in time.’” But I did get tested on a regular basis. I did do what was right.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Day
That’s why Oct. 13, Metastatic Breast Cancer Day, is really important to us, and we celebrate it as survivors and MetaThriversKC.
In Metathrivers KC, we share about treatments, our feelings and news. We welcome members at any time to our meetings in central KC.
Join Menorah Medical Center this Metastatic Breast Cancer Day
Join Menorah Medical Center as they honor Metastatic Breast Cancer Day on October 13 with a free, casual drop-in event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Connect with physician leaders, hear inspiring stories from metastatic breast cancer survivors (METAvivors) and enjoy complimentary refreshments in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.
This event will be held in the Menorah Medical Center – Building D located at 5701 West 119th St Overland Park, KS 66209. Learn more.
Breast cancer support at HCA Midwest Health
If you just learned you have cancer, you already have a support system waiting for you. The oncology team at HCA Midwest Health provides compassionate, comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services for your individual needs. Learn more about HCA Midwest Health’s oncology services.
