Finding Ways to Cope During Your Journey
- “Dancing With The Stars” alum Samantha Harris was first diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40. Now, 10 years after beating the disease, she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer recurrence and underwent a partial mastectomy two weeks ago.
- Harris isn’t shy to admit she’s been experiencing a wide array of emotions throughout her recent health struggle, however, she’s appearing to be coping well through exercise, music, and the support of others.
- Coping with a diagnosis or some other stressor in your life can be an emotional experience that affects your mental health. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik suggests people facing these kinds of challenges tap into their support group to help navigate their emotions.
- Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology and an advocate for cancer patients to prioritize their mental health, told SurvivorNet, “We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes.”
Harris, 50, who survived cancer ten years ago and became dedicated to living a healthy lifestyle, recently learned about her second diagnosis, which is “in the same exact location” of her initial breast cancer.
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The next thing she shared to her story was a video clip of her working out intensely using a stepper. She also shared the post on her Instagram page, writing alongside it, “Getting back to action after breast cancer surgery!! Two weeks and I am off restrictions.”
The footage of her working out also noted, “First full active day of weight + cardio two weeks after breast cancer surgery for my recurrence. … Perhaps my surgeon should have been more strict with me when he said, ‘you are free from all restrictions.'”
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Harris also shared a video selfie of herself singing a rock song in her car. She explaining, “When need a mood life – pump the music. And sing along!”
In another video, which she labeled a “mental health update,” Harris praised her fans and loved ones for their support through her health struggle.
We’re delighted to see Harris working hard to maintain her strength both mentally and physically as she endures the “shock” of getting cancer again, especially since she’s now even more determined to lead an even healthier life.
“Doubling down on all the changes I have made over the past 10 years to become my Healthiest Healthy!!!” she insisted in another Instagram post, shared on her surgery day.
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Samantha’s Breast Cancer Journey
Harris was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2014 despite finding nothing during a mammogram.
“It missed the cancer in my right breast,” Harris said on her blog. “Two doctors told me the lump I found 11 days later was ‘nothing.’
“Finally, four months after finding that lump, I went to see a breast cancer specialist (a surgical oncologist), someone whose main job it is to look at breasts all day and specializes in the detection of breast cancer.”
After a follow-up MRI, biopsy, and ultrasound, Harris’ cancer was still not found. But doctors decided to remove some of her breasts for further testing because they could tell “something was not right.”
“We decided to take it out,” she explained. “Thank goodness, because when the pathology from that lumpectomy came back, it was indeed invasive carcinoma, in addition to the less concerning ductal carcinoma in situ.”
(Getty Images)
She treated her breast cancer with a bilateral mastectomy, also called a double mastectomy, which removes both breasts. After that, she underwent breast reconstructive surgery.
During reconstruction, plastic surgeons can reconstruct your breasts with implants or with your tissue taken from some other place on your body, such as your back, your abdomen, or your inner thigh.
Harris’ cancer did spread to one lymph node, but doctors decided she didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation.
The mother of two was ultimately declared “cancer-free” with close monitoring “for the rest of what doctors tell [her] is sure to be a long, healthy life,” however, on August 14, she went public with a second breast cancer diagnosis.
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She explained in a video clip shared on her Instagram page, Harris explained, “But I have a recurrence of breast cancer. And I feel so fortunate to have been able to guide, support and lead so many of you and I will continue to do so — and I will fight on. And I will be okay.”
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“And I am so grateful for my family and my close friends,” Harris added. “And as I lean on them, I reach out to lean on you during this time and I will continue to share more as my treatment plan unravels and … see you soon.”
Managing Your Mental Health in the Face of a Health Challenge
Samantha Harris’ recurrence journey through is certainly taking a toll on her emotions. A diagnosis of a cancer or disease or some other types of external stressors can offset your mental health in ways you least expect.
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Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says your emotions will be fluid when facing a diagnosis. SurvivorNet has some tips to help keep your mental and emotional health in a good space if you find yourself coping with a stressful situation.
The National Institute of Mental Health says you should seek professional help if you are experiencing severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as:
- Trouble sleeping
- Changes in appetite
- Struggling to leave bed in the morning because of your mood
- Trouble concentrating
- Loss of interest in things you usually enjoy
- Inability to perform normal daily functions and responsibilities
Equally as important is recognizing the value of self-care. The National Institute of Mental Health offers practical guidance on how to boost your weekly self-care routine.
- Regularly exercising
- Eating healthy, regular meals
- Staying hydrated
- Prioritizing sleep
- Exploring relaxation programs or techniques
- Setting goals/priorities
- Staying positive
- Connecting with others
WATCH: How genetic testing can help improve your mental health.
Genetic testing can also help people wrestling with their mental health. It has been shown to match people with the best medication for mental health treatment. While genetic testing has helped make treatment plans for other diseases, such as certain types of cancer, the ability to use it to help people suffering from anxiety and depression is relatively new.
“Doing the genetic testing has absolutely transformed the landscape of psycho-pharmacology,” psychiatrist Dr. Plutchik tells SurvivorNet.
“It’s something that I highly recommend for anybody that is taking medication, whether they are being treated for cancer or not … I recommend it for children who are taking medication. I recommend it for elderly people. Anybody who is taking medication, I think, can greatly benefit from genetic testing,” Dr. Plutchik added.
Tips On Reducing Chance of Breast Cancer Recurrence
As triumphant as breast cancer survivors can feel after learning they are cancer free, many worry about recurrence.
While the chance of recurrence varies based on the biology of the tumor, the stage it was when diagnosed and the treatment received, according to the Susan G. Komen organization, “Most people diagnosed with breast cancer will never have a recurrence.”
Dr. Erica Mayer, a breast cancer medical oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, previously told SurvivorNet, “Once a patient has finished his or her active therapy for breast cancer, we will often refer to that time as breast cancer survivorship.
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“This is a time when patients are still being actively monitored by their treatment team, not only to ensure that they remain healthy and cancer-free in the years ahead, but also making sure that they have recovered from any side effects of their initial treatment, and that they are pursuing healthy behaviors for example, getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, and keeping up with all their other routine medical care.”
But recurrence does happen, like in Harris’ case, so it’s important to do everything you can to reduce your risk.
Here are some tips:
1. Follow Treatment Guidelines
“The best way to reduce your risk of recurrence with breast cancer is to follow treatment guidelines and complete the course of treatment that’s given,” says Dr. Port, who sat down with SurvivorNet and offered the following advice.
For example, she says many women have breast cancer that’s hormonally driven, and there are treatments that they give, such as pills like Tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors, to reduce the risk of these hormonally-driven cancers coming back. The issue is that the course of treatment may call for patients to take the pills for 5-10 years. While some have no side effects, others may experience a host of unpleasant side effects, even to the point where they’re severely debilitated and have no quality of life on these medications.
“So the challenge is to work with every individual person to make sure we give her the best chance of getting through these treatments and enjoying the benefits of these treatments, which is the lowest rate of cancer coming back,” Port says.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight may also reduce the risk.
“We know that obesity or being overweight can increase the risk of cancer recurrence in breast cancer,” Port says. “And so I say, maintaining a healthy body weight, whatever that is for the individual… You know, we talk a lot about healthy body weight, and there’s a very big range of this, but there are certain numbers beyond which it does affect one’s health. So we try to keep people within a range of a healthy body weight.”
3. Limit Alcohol
Port says the other lifestyle factor that may increase one’s risk of breast cancer recurrence is heavy alcohol intake.
“We say alcohol in moderation is probably fine, which is defined as three to five drinks a week,” Port told SurvivorNet. “More than that can also potentially increase the risk of recurrence. So the big lifestyle factors are healthy body weight and moderate alcohol intake.”
4. Eat a Healthy Diet
She says there’s no one dietary element that you can eat or consume to give you an edge against breast cancer recurrence. It’s not eating more broccoli or eating more blueberries or becoming a vegetarian. She says the fact that sugar feeds cancer is a big myth too. However, everything you eat does contribute to your overall health.
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“These things are all really helpful in maintaining an overall healthy well-balanced diet and also to maintain healthy body weight. We know that diets that are heavy in sugar content are also usually unhealthy and can lead to weight issues. So it all really funnels back to maintaining a healthy body weight when it comes to lifestyle factors.”
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Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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