Dorothy

Dorothy
Diagnosed at age 48, 15-year survivor
Y-ME Peer Counselor, Trainer, Scheduler and Advocate

"Because of the Internet, today’s Y-ME callers are more knowledgeable than in the past. But their emotional needs are still the same. Y-ME is here to provide information, hope, empathy, and sympathy."

"The lights in Chicago just went off." That was Dorothy’s response to being told she had breast cancer. Not long before, a lump had been detected during her routine mammography; she was told that it was a benign tumor, and that it would have to be removed. However, a couple weeks after the surgery, the pathologist reported that she had breast cancer and required further surgery. "I was devastated," exclaimed Dorothy.

After finding a Y-ME brochure in her surgeon’s office, she called the Y-ME Hotline for support, “looking for hope and information about how to cope with this dreaded news.” Although Dorothy had a very supportive husband and immediate family members, she still felt very alone. It meant so much to hear the peer counselor on the phone say, “I’m a breast cancer survivor.” The words had a calming effect on her, and she started to reflect on her future again.

Following a second opinion, Dorothy had a mastectomy with breast reconstruction. She didn’t dare to tell her friends, co-workers, or even her fellow churchgoers about her diagnosis.

"In the African-American community, it is considered taboo to talk about your health or illnesses publicly. Even though I was a radiology technician and I knew a modest amount about breast cancer, I still didn't want anyone to know what I was going through. I was afraid.” Dorothy called Y-ME again; this time she asked for a Match Peer Counselor who had a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, similar to Dorothy’s treatment. Knowing someone else had experienced her journey made Dorothy’s own journey more tolerable.

After recovery, Dorothy eventually had what she describes as a "coming out party … in my mind and body." She decided she wanted to be one of those Y-ME peer counselors helping others get through their breast cancer diagnoses and treatments. Moreover, she felt she needed to spread the positive news that it was possible to survive breast cancer. Dorothy resolved that "everyone was going to know about my cancer diagnosis and treatment."

As part of a newfound purpose in life, Dorothy volunteered to become a Y-ME peer counselor. She worked the midnight to 8 a.m. shift, because she knew it was in the middle of the night that patients often became most anxious or depressed. For Dorothy, emotional support of the kind that Y-ME provides is part of the treatment spectrum – a necessary component of dealing with the breast cancer experience.

“Still thirsty” for all the information she can absorb, Dorothy has gone on to become an advocate for breast cancer patients, attending as many symposiums and educational forums as she can.

"Getting information is very important,” she says, “but patients really need help in interpreting what the information means to them as individuals. They need support and they need to be empowered to communicate with their doctors and the people around them. I am on a mission to make sure that people get support, and Y-ME is my platform, my way of being there for breast cancer patients."