Breast Cancer: A Personal Narrative Analysis

I had the honor of shadowing Jenn Dagger, a registered Oncology nurse who works at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. She works in the Oncology unit located on the third floor west pavilion, which contains both the Rena Rowan Breast Cancer Center and the Jordan Center for Gynecologic Cancers. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Nursing and decided to stay in Philadelphia to pursue a career. She originally worked in the Cardiac unit, but she came to the realization that this unit did not fit what she wanted in a career. After acknowledging her dissatisfaction, she decided to switch to the Oncology unit. This change proved to be successful, as she now loves her job and feels fulfilled in her role as a nurse. During my visit she demonstrated leadership and teamwork among the other nurses in the unit. In recognition of her work caring for patients and their families, she received the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award.

Cancer is Chronic disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems (NCI, 2013). Breast cancer in particular affects both women and men, though our focus is on Ella Miller who is the heart of the Miller family. Ella has been battling cancer for years now and even though she went into remission, the cancer has returned. This Situation is affecting her view on life and well as her family view on life with and without her. The purpose of this paper is to inform and introduce factual background of breast cancer, medical treatment options, suggestions of coping with this illness for the family and Ella as well as an outlook regarding the micro, macro and mezzo influences of the patient and family. This paper will educate Ella and her family on lifespan development and outcomes pertaining to breast cancer.

Two years ago, my mother was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. During this time there were countless visits to the hospital. Typically, a visit would consist of shed tears and painful discussions about the next steps, but not this one. Before I set foot into my mother's room I heard the laughter of my oldest sister, Jojo, and chuckles

This past summer, I, along with my mother and father, travelled to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. My mom had been invited to participate in the St. Jude For Life Study because when she was around six to eight years old, she had a form of leukemia called Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. This particular study is to help all present and future St. Jude patients and help to research for a cure. While there, I saw first-hand how cancer can affect a family. You can just see all of the stress, the worry, the exhaustion, the tiredness, the fear, and the tears on the families’ and the patients’ faces.

I'm glad to hear that you're feeling slightly better!!!!! I had a similar issue with my grandma who had breast cancer, as well as other family members. I was so frustrated and found the doctors were equally responsible for a multitude of reasons. I packed up her bags and moved her North, where she could receive treatment at the Mayo clinic. Everything is coordinated for you (like it should be)!!! Results (labs/scans) are immediately sent to your smartphone when they become available, and you receive a list of all your specialist appointments and testing in advance. Labs/scans/, etc. are done (same day) onsite prior to your doctor's appointment all under one roof. You have a team of doctors working together on your treatment

Each year, approximately 12.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer and unfortunately that number is not decreasing. My sister, Caitlin, was a part of that statistic 12 years ago, and to say her Ewing’s Sarcoma changed not only her life, but also my family’s would be an understatement. As a child, witnessing the deterioration of my sister’s health and the my family’s normalcy ultimately shaped me into the person I am today; a person that welcomes change with a resilient nature built on a foundation to never quit. I am blessed to say that my sister is flourishing and her cancer has been in remission and upon meeting her today, one would have no idea she ever endured such a relentless disease. Nevertheless in the past two years, my mother

My grandmother is a second mother to me as my parents were busy working to support our family. She has raised me to become the person I am today. I just started college when I learned that my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through a major surgery removing more than half of her right breast. I independently researched and studied medical vocabulary, so as to understand what the surgeons, PAs and nurses were communicating when caring for her. Recovering from surgery was difficult for my grandmother, and during this time, I encountered various medical staff trying their best to help. They often came to me and explained how her condition was to keep me and my family informed. At this moment, I began to grow my passion toward medical profession. I wanted to care for others like they had cared for my family. Thanks to these medical professionals, to this day my grandmother is healthy and cancer-free.

For the majority of time, the biomedical model has been the main focus on many health factors and diseases, including cancer. Recently, psychologists have been able to prove the psychological and social components of disease. This has forced Doctors, who once relied solely on the biological factors of disease to take a more holistic approach. To help demonstrate the biopsychosocial model of cancer, I will be focusing on breast cancer and it’s risk factors. I will be discussing the effects of race/ethnicity, stress, and genetic factors on the occurrence and recovery of people who suffer from breast cancer.

When I was a kid, I always wondered why it took so long for an ill person to become well again. I always thought that if the ill person went to the doctor they would be back to normal the next day, but that’s not the case. For some people it took several days, weeks, months, and even years to conquer an illness but as a child I never could understand that. I don’t know how many times I’ve asked my mom or dad how come the doctors don’t get together and make a “miracle” drug that could heal anything and everything. It wasn’t until the age of 15 when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer that I understood why it took so long for others to heal and the process that they had to endure in order to be healthy again. Shortly after my grandmother’s diagnosis, I started looking into what it would take to get a drug that would cure cancer through the approval process on the shelf to save some many others just like my grandmother. But I kept running into a dead end. Everything seemed to keep pointing towards chemotherapy and radiation. Although I wanted something to heal my grandmother fast, chemotherapy and radiation was the only solution if I had wish to see her watch me graduate high school. I went to almost every appointment with her to watch how it helped strengthen but also watch as it drained her energy. A month of chemotherapy and a few weeks of radiation and my

Kate’s cancer journey was terrifying enough on its own but it lead me to my own terrifying journey. Kate’s breast cancer was not the only occurrence in my family. My maternal grandmother had succumbed to breast

Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 4 years ago, just a few months after her divorce was legalized. The diagnosis was devastated for her, she was terrified what will happen to her children and how she will be able to support them. Sarah said she didn’t think about herself, everything else was more urgent and important, especially because she didn’t have insurance and she was struggling financially.

I woke up to the sound of sirens, getting louder and louder each second. A state of panic filled my neighborhood. My heart dropped to my stomach as I watched my neighbor get strapped onto a stretcher and rushed out of the neighborhood to the nearest hospital. As I sat there, holding my neighbor’s two young boys in my arms, I realized that those sirens had awakened me and opened my eyes to a world that a child could not understand. In this single moment, I was maturing and preparing myself for adult-like responsibilities.

After a while of sitting in my grandparents living room mindlessly playing with my toys I decided to get up. I walked towards the commotion going on in the small hallway connecting the living room to the kitchen. The gathering of people consisted of my mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma. Curious about what was going on I walked over to the group. I reached my mom and looked up to see that her eyes were bloodshot, as if she had been crying. I looked over to my dad and his face, like everyone else's, was grim. During this time I kept hearing one repeating word, cancer. I started to listen more closely to the conversation going on around me because even at the age of seven I knew that cancer was bad news. I listened intently and heard my mom explain how she had colon cancer.

Breast cancer is the predominant form of cancer diagnosed in America women, second only to skin cancer and the primary cause of cancer deaths, surpassed only by lung cancer. Approximations suggest that one in eight women in the United States will develop invasive breast cancer during the course of their life (American Cancer Society, 2013). As with any disease, a diagnosis of breast cancer can be tremendously challenging and freighting experience not only during the time of treatment and post treatment, but also as a survivor of the disease. Encouragement, reassurance, and support are crucial components in managing, coping, surviving, and living with breast cancer.

Breast cancer has been a topic in the U.S since the early 1950’s what is it? Who gets it? Do people die? Can you get rid of it? How can you get rid of it? What can I do to help others in need? All of these questions are often asked by people who are diagnosed as well as the friends and families of these people. Since then Breast Cancer has taken leaps and bounds to to get to the place it is.