In January of 2021, Marisol noticed soreness on her chest’s right side while playing with her young daughter. Initially chalking it to rambunctious play, the soreness remained a month later. It was then that she decided it was time to visit the doctor. After experiencing an extreme amount of pain during the ultrasound, Marisol went to her car and broke down. “I just started to bawl because I knew right then and there. I was so shocked, I realized this was not normal; something was wrong.”
The diagnosis was late-stage 2, advanced lobular breast cancer. There were two tumours in her right breast. Then, in March, on the same day as her birthday, Marisol got her treatment plan. Four rounds of chemotherapy, once every few weeks. “I went into it with no expectations but also in high spirits. I was surprised how good I felt on the day of chemo. Then, the second day hit me like a ton of bricks.”
Marisol began experiencing severe joint pain and pain that ran down her legs. The pain made the experience more real, and shortly after, Marisol began to pick out a wig. After the chemo, Marisol moved on to hormone therapy for 3 months. She specifically remembers the routine injections that she had to take to suppress menstruation.
Finally, in September of that same year, she got the green light from her surgeon. The hormone therapy had worked; both tumours shrank. Marisol underwent a right mastectomy and had six lymph nodes removed. Unfortunately, the doctor told Marisol that some of her lymph nodes had cancer as well. Feeling devastated at the news, she had to go back for an additional surgery and have 17 more lymph nodes removed.
Marisol recalled her support system: “My husband just started a new job and the training was intense. Fortunately, I had great support at work and my parents were there to help with our five children. I was very lucky in that sense. ”
However, she would soon find out that despite all the support she had throughout her journey, she experienced feelings of isolation and various symptoms as a result of her cancer treatment – and needed additional support. Discovering Wellspring through a Facebook group, Marisol registered for Tai Chi. “Tai Chi was so much fun – I couldn’t believe how much I was sweating! It really helped clear my mind, gave me more energy, and made it easier to focus and manage stress.” Marisol also went on to share how the other programs helped, “The exercise classes helped me get stronger and eased some of the pain I was dealing with. The Nourish program was amazing – it helped me find foods that reduced my nausea. The Returning to Work program gave me tools to manage my anxiety about going back. Honestly, it was such a relief to be around others with different cancer stories, but who understood the same pressures I was feeling. And I really loved the social aspect of these programs.”
Months later, just when Marisol thought the worst was over, her oncologist noticed her white blood cell count and estrogen levels were high, so she suggested Marisol have her ovaries removed. They found a microscopic piece of cancer on her left ovary; her cancer had now become metastatic.
During this time, while brushing her youngest daughter’s hair, Marisol noticed her daughter’s hair was starting to fall out in large amounts. Marisol asked her daughter if there was anything that she was worrying about. “That you are going to die,” her 7-year-old shared. That was a changing point for Marisol – that her cancer diagnosis wasn’t just impacting her, but her entire family.
After that conversation, Marisol registered for Wellspring’s Children’s and Parents’ program. “That was a world of a difference for us,” she shared, “it gave us a way to talk about cancer, because I didn’t know how.” Her daughter made an instant new friend in the group. Over the six weeks, the bonds they formed became everlasting. The group would even eat after the sessions to continue spending time together.
“It’s so nice to have a place where it’s okay to talk about these things, because this is a tough topic for families. I didn’t know what I could or could not talk about with my youngest. I did not realize she had the same fears I did.” Now, after participating in Wellspring’s Children’s and Parents’ Program, Marisol’s daughter feels more comfortable asking questions and sharing her feelings. While some conversations are still difficult, Marisol is grateful that the lines of communication are open.
Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Pendle Fund at the Mississauga Foundation, a registered charitable public foundation serving the people of Mississauga.
