Judy

Judy
Diagnosed at age 49, 12-year survivor
Y-ME Peer Counselor

"I hung up the phone the first time I called Y-ME before the counselor even said anything. I thought they couldn’t know what I'm going through. Then I found out they were breast cancer survivors, and I called back."

Judy had a history of fibrocystic breast disease. She had undergone three previous biopsies, all benign. The new lump hurt. She had heard that cancerous lumps were usually painless. This was probably another cyst. Her doctor decided to watch it for awhile, but the lump didn't go away, and the pain persisted. This time, the biopsy came back as malignant.

Judy's tumor was relatively large, but she was still a candidate for lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy, chemotherapy and then hormonal therapy. The chemo threw her into menopause and she had "all the side effects of tamoxifen." It was hard, but she was determined to get through the treatment to give herself the best chance of recovery.

"When I first got the diagnosis, all I did was cry, cry, and cry some more. Then I told myself I had to stop the crying. I called Y-ME, but the first time I hung up the phone before the counselor could even say anything. I thought they couldn't know what I was going through. I called back though and I found out they were breast cancer survivors. That made all the difference for me.”

Judy kept calling back and eventually joined a support group. Not long after, she was asked to join Y-ME as a peer counselor. At first, she was reluctant, not wanting to focus on breast cancer all the time. She realized, though, that she could be the voice on the other end of the phone, the breast cancer survivor there to help and support people who were trying to understand their disease. That was eight years ago.

"Each call is different," she says. "The important thing is to listen and not assume that you know what the person on the other end is thinking or going through. I want every caller to know that I am here for them, no matter where they are in the treatment process."

Judy worries about the callers who tell her that they have a lump or symptom of breast cancer, and that they are afraid to go to the doctor. "I tell those people that they should be afraid not to go to the doctor. Breast cancer is very treatable but the earlier you find it, the better the chances."