Sally and Patricia
Left to right: Sally and Patricia
By Patricia, a Sister Study participant from Washington, DC
Unlike many sisters, my only sibling Sally and I were not close growing up. We lived in a small house, and I—being eight and one-half years older—begrudgingly shared a small room with my sister. The only thing we mutually enjoyed was living close to the ocean, and this love of water and sand seemed to interweave itself through our lives, bringing us together for occasional visits.
When Sally entered college, I was already working as a Registered Radiological Technician at a medical center not far from her campus. My apartment became her retreat from college life, and this was our first opportunity to get to know each other better. Within the next several years, life took us in completely different geographical and professional directions, and once again there was very little contact between us. Sally began her career in teaching, and after obtaining two advanced degrees, she accepted a position as a guidance counselor in a very prestigious school district. I, on the other hand, was the artistic sister who left medicine temporarily to enjoy fashion, modeling and all things creative. My sister and I could not have been more different in our pursuit of life.
In 1991 Sally was diagnosed with invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma. Obviously, it was a very difficult time for our small family. My sister was in denial, and refused our help until after her first surgery, when she had to accept the reality of cancer and the fact that she needed support.
After being in remission for more than five years, my sister's breast cancer metastasized and began its invasion of her body. At this time, I was the Executive Coordinator for a leading Washington, DC Breast Care Center. Sally was much more accepting of my support during the return of her breast cancer. She relied on my background in the field and my advocacy in each phase of her breast cancer as it developed. I seemed to be able to comfort her, and we communicated almost everyday, either by telephone, or during my visits to Connecticut.
The last time Sally was able to visit the beach, I drove her back to Connecticut from New Jersey for her chemo treatments, and returned her to the shore for several more sunny days. We had lunches from her favorite place, nibbled on fudge from one of her friend's candy shops, and with help, Sally was able to walk on the beach and enjoy the comfort of warm sand between her toes.
The last weekend I spent in Connecticut with Sally, I sat in her room next to her bed, and we talked about everything that we had missed sharing during all those years in growing up. Later that week, I received a note from Sally, which I cherish to this day. Some of her special thoughts were, “I am taking this opportunity to thank you so much for staying with me the past few days. I really enjoyed having the time together, both watching movies and chatting.… Again, thank you so much, I really enjoyed our time together,” (and so did I Sally, so did I)! Shortly after that visit, Sally was hospitalized where she passed away.
Breast Cancer is a leading cause of death among women today. I believe that we must take all steps available to educate women to be proactive about their health, and make every effort to assist researchers in finding a cause and a cure for this devastating disease. The Sister Study brings new hope in research, and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate. I encourage all women, especially older women, who are eligible to join us in what could potentially be a lifesaving study.