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"It felt like a marble," says Heidi Keyes of the lump she found in her breast this November. "Smaller, but just like a marble, and it moved around. But the biggest thing was that I knew in my heart when I found it something wasn't right."
A diagnosis like cancer is more than just scary, says Heidi, a mother-of-three who was recently elected to the Norwalk Board of Education. With so much medical jargon and so many treatment options, it's also confusing.
"I don't do well with the unknown." Not one to helplessly stand by, Heidi confronted her confusion head on by learning everything she could about her disease. "I spent days and days in the library," she says. "Education is so powerful."
Almost as powerful as the support of friends and family. With three kids ages 13, 10 and 6, Heidi gratefully accepted everything from childcare to homemade dinners after her diagnosis.
"People just came out of the woodwork," she says. "It was amazing." Equally amazing were the new friends Heidi made throughout the course of her illness, women who'd been through similar experiences. These relationships were a crucial mix of sisterly comfort and information-sharing. "You have to talk to other people who've been through the same things, who've had to deal with losing their hair and getting sick from chemo." Even the basics of early detection are more helpful when related as a personal anecdote. A doctor or magazine's instructions on what to look for when performing a self-exam leave many women uncertain about what, exactly, a lump feels like. Heidi's description, on the other hand, is clear as day.
Heidi's doctors at Norwalk Hospital performed a lumpectomy, but soon found out that the cancer was more aggressive than they thought. After much research and soul-searching, Heidi decided to undergo a bilateral mastectomy.
"I didn't want to have to worry about it coming back," she says. Now in the process of chemotherapy and getting ready for reconstructive surgery, Heidi feels her life slowly coming back together. She's back to work at the part-time early childhood program will be participating in this Saturday's 7th Annual Whittingham Benefit Walk/Run, in a tribute to the "incredible" team who treated her at Norwalk Hospital. Through all this, she's figured out how to pace herself.
"On the days I feel great, I do more," she says. "On the days I don't, I rest."
More than anything, Heidi feels strongly about devoting her time to being there for breast cancer patients. "The support from other women really saved me," she says.
If you or someone you know needs to talk, Heidi is generously offering herself as a resource. Her email is Kheidi7796@aol.com.
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