Patient Success Stories - Renee's Story
I’m Renee, a woman like so many other women, with goals and dreams and a lifetime of experiences that have shaped my life and made me who I am today. I’m glad to have this opportunity to share my breast cancer journey and recovery with you. It’s been a long road, but I am here to keep walking down that road and my life is a good life. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope it will be meaningful to you, as it has been for me. It’s a story of overcoming obstacles…and it’s a story of hope because I am alive…and I’m doing great.
My Background
I’m 49 years old, married, and the mother of two wonderful young adult children: a son (25) and a daughter (21). I’ve lived Houston all my life; in fact, my husband and I both grew up here. I’m fortunate to have great parents, who gave my 2 brothers, my sister, and me a solid foundation
In 2004, I decided to retire from my professional life to spend more time with my kids, who were entering into their high school years. It was fantastic to have so much time with them, and I put in countless hours volunteering and using my organizational skills along the way. I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to plan, to know where I’m going. They were busy, productive years and everything seemed in order… until I was diagnosed with cancer.
Finding Out That I Had Breast Cancer: First You Cry, Then You Say, “Let’s Get Started”
I was stunned when I first got the news of breast cancer. I was officially diagnosed with Stage III invasive carcinoma. Definitely, not the words we wanted to hear. My husband and I were devastated. I had done all the right things – mammograms, ultrasounds, regular check-ups, and self-exams. But I hadn’t been able to really detect the cancer because it was a small tumor that wasn’t easy to feel and it turned out that it had already penetrated into at least one major lymph node. Now I would have to go through chemotherapy before I could even have the surgery to remove the tumor. When I was told that I was going to have to have a double mastectomy, I was crying, but I said to the doctor, “Let’s get started.”
This is what matters: I saw several doctors and not one of them ever said, “We can’t help you.” That gave me hope. I was going to make it and the doctors were concerned about what I wanted. They were so upbeat, so I never felt like I was dying. That was really important.
Meeting Dr. Basu
That’s when Dr. Basu came into my life. He was referred to me by my breast surgeon, who told me, “Dr. Basu is the best plastic surgeon in this area. He’s the expert at breast reconstruction surgery.” I began my chemotherapy treatments at that time, and had already had two of them when I first met Dr. Basu and his staff. I was bald, I had no brows, and I was preparing for bilateral mastectomy surgery. Right from the start, Dr. Basu and his staff made me feel good about myself. They really cared about me and they still do.
When I met him for the first consultation, Dr. Basu told me something I will never forget: He said, “If you will allow me to, I will help you with your breast reconstruction. I want you to feel like you’re the most beautiful woman on earth. Please don’t worry.” I remember thinking he was too young of a doctor but after talking with him, I realized he definitely knew what he was doing and had been performing these types of procedures for a while.
He was so confident and compassionate I knew I was in good hands. I told him I wanted to talk to my husband before I made a decision and he said, “Remember your health comes first and I will not interfere with any of your cancer treatments. We have some time before any decisions have to be made”. We began meeting regularly so that he could keep track of my skin changes.
The Process: Doing What Needs to Be Done
Every 21 days, I had a 3-hour chemo treatment – consisting of 3 miracle drugs – and I actually looked forward to them because the nurses staff and the other patients were all so nice. When the treatments began, I was extremely thin and my doctors were afraid the port would break through my skin, but I was ready to take the next step. Dr. Basu had been meeting with me regularly throughout the time of chemotherapy, giving me support and encouragement.
In preparation for breast reconstruction, he asked me, “What are your goals?” He wanted to know how I wanted my breasts to look and what I was thinking and what I was hoping for. He explained that I would have to finish radiation treatments before definitive reconstruction could take place, but we could place temporary implants so I would never have to experience seeing the full effects of a mastectomy. I would be able to wake up from my mastectomy with reconstruction started. So, I was diagnosed in August 2008, underwent the chemotherapy and then the double mastectomy surgery was done in January of 2009. After surgery, I had the radiation treatments – 5 days a week for seven weeks.
Dr. Basu Gave Me Something To Look Forward To
During this hectic time, Dr. Basu gave me something to look forward to. He told me that my final reconstruction breast surgery could be done six months after all the radiation treatments were completed. Since I required radiation, he was going to use skin and fat from my abdominal area to construct new breasts. He told me, “We’re going to take this one step at a time to give you the best possible results.”
Deciding to Have Breast Reconstruction: Dr. Basu said, “I will be there for you.”
Dr. Basu is a wonderful doctor. He doesn’t like his patients to go through pain – to endure unnecessary suffering – and despite all I’d been through – I learned to trust him. I finished my chemotherapy treatments, had the surgeries, and finished radiation. Dr. Basu had told me that he would do whatever I wanted with regard to reconstruction. He said, “We have time and options.” That was comforting and he was clear about wanting the decision about reconstruction to be mine. There was no pressure. We discussed my options and decided that I would have an implant placed in the benign side and a fat transfer on the side where the cancer was found and where I needed radiation.
“Your Health is the Number One Priority”
During all of the treatments and surgery, Dr. Basu would tell me, “Don’t worry. Don’t be upset. I’m not going to interfere with your cancer treatment. Your health is the number 1 priority. I want you to be in good health before you undergo a lengthy reconstruction surgery. You will be in ICU for 2 or 3 days after I do the reconstruction because I want you to have the best care and constant monitoring and they’re set up to give you that.” He was there for me every step of the way.
When I had the first surgery, Dr. Basu was in the OR with the breast surgeon: in fact, the breast surgeon opened me up preformed the bilateral mastectomy and Dr. Basu closed me up with temporary tissue expander implants in place, so I would not have to see the chest wall deformity after mastectomy.
New Breasts…and the Tummy Tuck That Came With It
For my final reconstruction after all my cancer treatment was done, Dr. Basu performed a DIEP free flap procedure – where excess fat and skin could be taken from my lower belly (the excess tissue normally thrown away in a cosmetic tummy tuck) and used my own tissue to construct a natural-looking breast on the side where the cancer had been found. He removed the skin that had been damaged from radiation therapy, and made a breast from the skin and fat taken from the belly. Then I went home to recuperate from the tummy tuck and reconstruction. Dr. Basu told me I could have the left breast reconstructed (with a gel implant) two months later and he did that second reconstruction surgery which was six months ago, in December of 2009. I required – as many patients do – some fine-tuning to bring the breasts into symmetry, so that was done during this procedure, too.
Soon to Come…Nipple Reconstruction
Soon, I will undergo my last surgery when Dr. Basu does the nipple reconstruction of both breasts. Throughout this journey, it has become crystal clear to me that the way he plans and works with patients has to do with what’s in the patient’s best interest and with the goal of getting the best possible outcome. It’s been quite an experience and I’m still not sure why I’ve been so strong through it all, but I do know that my parents told me when I was a kid that you can do anything once you set your heart on it.
You Have to Be Strong, and You Are
There’s nothing easy about breast cancer. The simple fact is you’re chemically poisoned (chemotherapy), amputated (mastectomy), and burned (radiation.) And because hormones fed my cancer, I do have to deal with mood swings and hot flashes, and that’s hard at times. As long as I have my family, friends and doctors continuing to support me, I can get through the difficult moments. The doctors told my husband in the beginning, “You have to be patient. She’ll be moody – up and down, some days good, some days bad.” Despite all of this, we don’t argue and, bless his heart; my husband’s been able to do this…to be patient.
I want others in my situation to know that no matter how challenging it is, you can be strong and you get through it and then you have this opportunity to be put together again so you can be your best physical self again. That’s what Dr. Basu did for me. I had to be strong, so I was strong. As a matter of fact, one of the women who were having chemo when I was has Dr. Basu for her doctor, too. So, we had that sharing along the way and she feels the same way I do about him: just total respect and trust. Dr. Basu specializes in breast cancer reconstruction surgeries, so he knows exactly what he’s doing and he explains everything each step of the way.
Dr. Basu and His Staff: You Always Feel Beautiful to Them
Dr. Basu’s staff is wonderful. They come in and they take time and they talk to you. They also show you photos that take you through the process: “This is how you look. This is how we’re going to put you back together again. The women in the office are just amazing. They’re pleasant, they keep you company, they hug you, and they encourage you. I remember them saying to me, “I can’t wait to see how you’ll look when you’re done.” The way they talked with me, the looks on their faces…they never made me feel like I wouldn’t look pretty when it was all done. You always feel like you’re beautiful to them. That was really special for me. And they’re always kind, always in an upbeat mood…always! I don’t know how they do it, but they really do make you feel better.
Dr. Basu is a special doctor. He’s direct. He’s patient. He repeats information calmly as many times as you need to hear it because he knows you won’t remember everything. He tells you what your results will be. And, most of all, he makes it very clear that he wants you to feel certain of the choices you have to make. His staff treats me the same way; there’s just a lot of support. He was there right from the beginning, a long side of the breast surgeon who would do the mastectomies. You have many visits with him over time because he likes to stay close to his patients and he’s determined to give you the best possible results.
A Message to Women Beginning the Journey
When I go to Dr. Basu’s office for follow-up visits I often meet someone who’s just starting the process I’ve been through. But, you know, I get through my moody days much easier when I meet one of his patients because I know I can help someone else who’s just heard the horrifying news that they have breast cancer. I say, “You’re going to be ok because you’re in good hands.” It may sound a little odd, but he and his staff at the office didn’t treat me like I had an illness. They’ve just been there for me, treating me like a person. It’s a lot of caring.”
Looking Ahead: I Have So Much To Look Forward To
Next year is going to be a great year. I’ll be turning 50 and I don’t have a problem with getting older. I don’t know what I’m going to be doing on my birthday, but I know it’s going to be something fabulous! I thank God every day. I have so much to look forward to every day of my life.