MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- She had four months of chemotherapy, seven weeks of daily radiation and spent hours each day battling sickness; breast cancer-survivor Theresa Hunt had just one aspiration—to survive.
“I knew it would get better,” Hunt expressed with a solemn tone in her voice. “I knew it wasn’t my time to go and that I still have so much to live for.”
Thousands fight the rigorous battle against breast cancer each year in the U.S., all with the same goal of survival in mind. Chemotherapy, radiation and handling the burden of different prescription drugs are just a few of the treatments that each patient must endure.
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the breast. This cancer is considered a heterogeneous disease which differs by individual, age group, and even the kinds of cells within the tumors themselves.
“When the doctors at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton found my cancer, it was only stage-one,” Hunt explained. “Even though it was a small amount, it was fast-spreading. When I went back for my consultation two weeks later, the cancer had already doubled in size.”
Hunt is considered one of the lucky ones. Since it was caught in time, the cancer didn’t spread to her lymph nodes, which are the organs that, if infected, cause a person’s breast to be removed. However, during her chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Hunt suffered brutal infections.
“If it wasn’t for my husband, family and friends, I don’t think I could have fought this battle so hard,” said Hunt, whose husband is a retired Marine. “Battling breast cancer isn’t something that just happens overnight.”
Hunt’s mindset of survival and knowing that this disease was not necessarily a death sentence, aided her healing process, she said.
“Theresa’s positive attitude and ambition to fight through her cancer is what kept her so strong,” said Amy Carter, breast health nurse, NHCP, who cared for Hunt through her ordeal. “She’s someone that myself and the staff here will never forget. Her personality is so extraordinary.”
Hunt applied the same mentality used to defeat her cancer to aid in other cancer patients’ healing process. Hunt was honored during the “Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure” walk for her survival and unselfish willingness to help others. Of the 41,000 registered participants, Hunt is one of the eight survivors who held the honorary flags during the walk.
The “Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure” is a 60-mile walk to raise funds and awareness to fight breast cancer. Participants commit to fundraising, training, and dedicating a three-day weekend to the event.
Hunt was also recognized for raising more than $78,000 for breast cancer research.
“Helping others with their battle is just part of the healing process,” said Hunt as she handed her phone number to another diagnosed patient at the hospital for her initial consultation. “I always like others, who are fighting the same battle I did, to know that they’re not alone.”
For more information about the 60-mile walk or to get involved, visit www.the3day.org. To set up an appointment for a screening or diagnostic mammogram at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, call 760-725-4357.