Carrie, Pearl and Edith
Left
to right: Carrie, Pearl, and Edith
By Edith, a participant from Tennessee
In 2004, two of my sisters were battling with breast cancer. My baby sister, Carrie, was the first to be diagnosed in December of 2003. While receiving treatment in Nashville, Carrie, talked with my oldest sister, Pearl, and insisted that she get a pap smear and a mammogram (Pearl hadn’t had either test in years). Pearl told me that Carrie’s demanding tone frightened her and she called that same day to make the appointments. When Pearl went for her mammogram, the doctors found a mass and a few days later, she had the cancerous lump and two lymph nodes removed.
Around the same time, it became clear that Carrie wasn’t responding well to her breast cancer treatments and was getting worse. When she asked if Pearl had gotten the tests, I prayed for the right words to say. I told Carrie that the way she was handling her illness proved to be a blessing for Pearl. I informed her that Pearl had the exams and that she had breast cancer too. I said the doctors removed a cancerous lump and it appeared she was going to be fine. Carrie was happy that she helped Pearl and asked me to keep her informed about Pearl’s progress.
A little more than a week later, Pearl had a second surgery to remove 20 more lymph nodes. They were not cancerous. She began her 8 rounds of chemotherapy and 33 treatments of radiation.
As Pearl began to get better, Carrie continued to get worse. Her doctor finally informed me that the cancer had not responded to any of the treatments — it had spread throughout her body and it was decided to stop all treatments. I was ill with sarcoidosis so our family decided Carrie would be best off at her daughter’s home in Kentucky where her daughter, granddaughters and son could give her more care. On April 28, 2004, Carrie lost her battle with cancer. Pearl was able to visit Carrie and tell her in person that she was cancer-free before she passed.
Being ill myself, I felt helpless watching my two sisters fight breast cancer. I wanted to do something to honor Carrie and to show Pearl how proud I was of her. It wasn’t until 2006 that I knew how I could help. During an office visit, my doctor told me about the Sister Study. When she gave me the brochure, I was impressed with the cover. It stated “A Special Invitation for African American Sisters” and had African-American women on the cover. That got my attention. I read the information and called the Sister Study that day. I became a participant and also a volunteer to inform other women about the Sister Study by giving out literature. I called Pearl and told her about the study and she became a volunteer, who passes out information.
Being a participant is very easy. Everything is sent to your home and done at your home. The kit with the questionnaires is color coded and sent with detailed directions. If you don’t understand something you can always call for assistance. Everyone with the study is very helpful and pleasant. A certified technician then comes to your home to collect the questionnaires and samples requested.
Participating in the Sister Study gave me the opportunity to honor Carrie while helping others as well. The feeling of helplessness has eased a great deal. I invite all women with sisters who have been diagnosed with breast cancer to join the Sister Study. Giving a few hours of your time is a very small investment to improve the quality of life not only for their sisters, but for all sisters, daughters, nieces, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, girlfriends and most of all for our future generations of sisters all over the world.