Eileen Z. Fuentes | Survivor Stories: Eileen Z. Fuentes
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02 Oct Survivor Stories: Eileen Z. Fuentes

Photo: Good Enough Mother

The great folks at ‘Good Enough Mother‘ are doing their annual SURVIVOR STORIES 2012 for October which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This is a chance to learn more about those who have been personally touched by the disease. I was honored to be selected as the first subject to kick-off this event. Be sure to check out their website daily to read more inspirational stories.

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Survivor Stories: Eileen Z. Fuentes

How did you first find out you had cancer?

I was sleeping and had an itch on my breast and when I went to scratch, felt a lump. Even though I had stopped nursing just a couple of months prior, intuitively I felt that something was terribly wrong. Since I work in a hospital, I was able to schedule a mammogram fairly quickly from the period where I casually ran into it.

How did you react when you heard the news?

My knees gave out on me and I started to shake and cry uncontrollably. I was young (34) and had no family history. In addition, my three daughters were so young (ages 2, 4, and 9) and I thought I wasn’t going to be around to see them grow up. To make matters worse, I was diagnosed with triple negative disease, which is the most aggressive and has the poorest prognosis.

What course of treatment were you prescribed?

Read more: Survivor Stories: Eileen Z. Fuentes.

Eileen Z. Fuentes

After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2008, Eileen became her own Self-Healthcare Activist. She is an Integrative Cancer Coach and works full-time helping patients do more than just survive at Columbia University’s Cancer Center in New York City.

2 Comments
  • Dolores Lemonier
    Posted at 22:56h, 30 September Reply

    As I tuned the pages of my Latina Magazine I found your story, and I felt like there is hope for my younger sister who was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Initially diagnosed at stage 2, with good chances of besting it, until her PET scan revealed the cancer had spread to the bones, her condition moved to a stage four, and my optimism changed to fear and helplessness. I have spent the last week trying to put together a plan to help her with her nutrition and a healthy life style. Where can I begin to help her and also change my life style?

    • Eileen
      Posted at 18:45h, 01 October Reply

      My heart is with you. Please don’t let this diagnosis turn to despair and worry, both of which work against healing. Nutritionally there are many things you can do. I will share my list of 10 Anticancer foods this month so you can begin incorporating those items in your meals. If you’d like books filled with health supportive meals specifically for those with cancer, I would encourage you to check out Rebecca Katz. Her recipes are so good, you’ll forget they’re super-healthy!

      Caregivers hold a special place in my heart. The good news is that as you work to help heal your sister, you too will learn the value of good food and self-care. If there are any other specific questions that I can answer for you, fee free to reach out to me directly at thespeach@gmail.com.

      Love,
      Eileen

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