Coping With Loss
- NCIS star Pauley Perrette announced her aunt Vicki passed away unexpectedly.
- Perrette lost her mother to breast cancer in 2002.
- Perrette says her aunt helped her tremendously after her mother passed away.
Perrette shared with fans that her aunt Vicki, her mother’s younger sister, has passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. The actress penned a touching message saying that Vicki helped raise her after Perrette’s mother, Donna Bell, succumbed to breast cancer in 2002.
Read MoreMy Aunt Vicki (moms little sister) died suddenly. I'm devastated. She was a GREAT MOTHER to us after mom died. She's one of my favorite people. So funny & smart. She said it was ok to stay single, be yourself, not have kids & retire at 51 like she did, when no one supported that.
— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) September 21, 2020
Perrette has taken to social media a few times to honor her late mother, sharing sweet throwback photos on Mother’s Day and Bell’s birthday. Also, Perrette opened Donna Bell’s Bake Shop in 2012 based in New York City, saying that this was the perfect way to pay tribute to her, seeing as the two of them spent so many memories in the kitchen together.
Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there! And for all who are missing their moms today, I'm with you. pic.twitter.com/xdrI5ReBoK
— Pauley Perrette (@PauleyP) May 12, 2019
Personalizing Treatment For Breast Cancer
While it’s unclear what stage Bell’s breast cancer was, there are many treatment options for women (and men) facing this disease. However, the first step is identifying any possible unique factors related to your diagnosis since that can help physicians determine the best treatment for you. These features are often referred to as receptors, which consist of estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and the HER2 receptor. The estrogen and progesterone receptors go together because they are fueled by hormones.
“These receptors, I like to imagine them like little hands on the outside of the cell, they can grab hold of what we call ligands, and these ligands are essentially the hormones that may be circulating in the bloodstream that can then be pulled into this cancer cell and used as a fertilizer, as growth support for the cells,” Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet.
Related: Treatment for HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Another important receptor to test for is the HER2 receptor. For HER2 positive breast cancers, standard of care might not be the best option to turn to. So,therapies that uniquely target the HER2 receptor are essential in treating the disease.
Coping With Losing Loved Ones To Cancer
Watching someone you love battle cancer can be emotionally devastating, but it doesn’t mean you have to forget all the sweet memories you shared with them. For Camila and Edgar Legaspi, who lost their mother Gabriela to breast cancer, they coped with the loss by recalling how strong she was during the whole process.
"Despite going through chemotherapy, despite going through radiation, she would show up at everything," Camila Legaspi tells SurvivorNet. "…I remember going on so many walks with my mom that year, and doing fun activities, and treating her the way that she wanted to be treated, and just giving her the love that she wanted."
Related: Sadness Is Not Always A Bad Thing Coping After Losing A Parent To Cancer
In addition to trying to keep things as normal as possible, Gabriela and her kids tried to find some humor throughout her cancer journey. This helped Edgar and Camila stay positive despite watching their mom face cancer, and now looking back, they’re so grateful.
“I actually hadn't appreciated how big of an effort she made to maintain a semblance of normality and have us live our lives the way she wanted us to live them,” Edgar says. “The most tangible aspect of her legacy is how we’ve become such a strong family.”
Camila & Edgar Legaspi, who lost their mother to breast cancer, remember their mom’s strength
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