Lou Ann Sink found a lump in her breast just a month before her scheduled mammogram in 2001. She immediately called her doctor, who performed a scan and reassured her that the tumor was most likely not cancerous. However, Sink received a call from her doctor after a few days telling her that she did have breast cancer.
"We were really shocked and surprised," she said. "There's so much more publicity about breast cancer now, but you still never think it's going to happen to you." Although any cancer can be terrifying, Sink was fortunate that her tumor was in stage three, which is one of the less advanced stages. Some of her lymph nodes were also cancerous, however, which made it necessary for her to undergo a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment was effective, and she achieved remission in summer 2002.
The process was difficult, she admitted. "I was determined to keep going, though," she said.
Her main source of support was her husband, Donnie. He was devastated when he heard the news of his wife's cancer, he said. "That day of knowing, of finding out, was just going from the top to the bottom," Donnie Sink said.
The Sinks' advice to families of women with breast cancer is to pace themselves through the difficult days of diagnosis and treatment. "Take it one step, one day at a time," she said. "I knew it was going to be a journey, but I decided that we could get through it." Donnie also said that positive thinking is important to making it through the ordeal. "I think Lou Ann's positive attitude and faith in God is what got her through this," he said. "She was a trooper."
The most important thing, they agreed, was to support each other. "You can't make it through this alone," she said.
This is amazing :) I'm so proud of them!
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