Young Adult Cancer Canada > Community > Profiles > Kara Ann Peseski

Kara Ann Peseski

Age at Diagnosis: 29 (2006)

Hometown
I grew up in Sarnia but live in Toronto now.

How did you find out you were sick? What events led to the diagnosis?
I had no clue I was sick. I felt a lump late one night on my breast and freaked. I went to the doctors the next day and was sent for tests right away. The assumption of the lump being just a cyst. I was sent for a second round of ultrasounds because my doctor wasn’t happy with the first results. Then I was sent to a surgeon. I told her I wanted the lump out, no matter what because it was hurting me where it was. So we decided that I would go for the surgery and then it would be biopsied later on. One week later, I went in to find out the results and that was when I was introduced to cancer. I think it may explain why I had been so tired for months beforehand. From there, I had more surgery and then chemotherapy and radiation.

What year was it? What was your age at the time?
It was March 9, 2006 and I was 29 years old.

At what level of education were you at diagnosis?
I had finished college.

Do you work? Currently I’m on LTD, but I usually work a full time job and part time job.

What was your diagnosis?
Stage II, grade 3 breast cancer.

What are your career goals?
I work with special needs kids and I’d like to specialize more into Autism.

What were your first thoughts when diagnosed?
My first thoughts, along with my family and friends, was pure shock.

How did your family react?
Shocked and confused.

How did your friends react?
My friends were stunned. The thought of how young I was went through their minds. I had wonderful friends who would come over and help me with housework or take me out or just watch TV with me. I wasn’t treated differently – sometimes they would say that besides the bald head they sometimes forget what I’m going through.

What did your treatment consist of?

Medical Side: I started chemotherapy 6 weeks after my second surgery. I was to do 8 rounds of chemo, every other week. It was typical – got sick, visited the hospital for infections, lost my hair, food was weird. My fifth treatment was a new drug – Taxol. It caused me to have severe neuropathy in my fingers and toes, so I had to make the decision of whether or not I want to switch or to take myself off chemo. I decided to take myself off. I then started radiation for 6 weeks. I got burnt from radiation, but it wasn’t too bad.

Non-Medical Side: I am an optimistic person and I was positive through all of this. At times I felt physically weak and every bone hurt me (especially after my Neulasta shot). I was okay emotionally, too. I found support groups and kept myself busy with new hobbies. I thought of it as a journey in my life, a shitty journey, but a journey no less.

In which hospital(s) were you treated?
Humber River for my surgeries and Princess Margaret for everything else.

What is your current medical status?
I finished all my treatment on the 18th of October and I’m free from cancer.

How is life different for you now post diagnosis (physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually)?
Wow – I believe everything has changed in all aspects of my life. You see things different. You take more opportunities and I really do stop to smell the roses/flowers/whatever. Physically, I am much more aware of my body and I’m terrified of getting lymphedema. Emotionally, I’m not sure where I am. At this moment, I feel like I’m in limbo. Socially, I’m having the time of my life – I’m much more free to go out and do more and travel more – that will stop I’m sure once I go back to work.

What is/was the toughest part of your challenge?
I think the toughest part was telling my parents. Since my parents don’t live in the same city as me, I had to do it over the phone.

What is/was the best part of your challenge?
You really learn how strong you are!

What really motivated you to keep going while you were sick?
Motivation was a countdown of how many treatments I had left. That the end was near.

What lessons or messages have you taken away from your experience?
That even though cancer sucks, you learn more about yourself and how truly strong you can be.

What are your thoughts and feelings about your illness now? How have they changed since before your diagnosis?
Well, now I’m over the shock of the diagnosis whereas during the treatments and such I think I was living in the shock of things and just going along with everything. Now I can look at things in retrospect and absorb more information because I have a clearer head.

What are some (if there are any you know of) preventative measures that people can take to lower their risk of having an experience like yours?
Know your body, be aware of anything unusual and don’t be afraid to go to the doctor.

Did you attend any support groups during your challenge?
Yes, I attended different support groups at Gilda’s, Wellspring and Willow. All were helpful. One of the ones that really helped was at Willow. Right after my surgery, I had a volunteer call me every week. This person had gone through the same cancer and was around the same age – so that really helped. At Gilda’s, there were support programs and drop-ins and pot luck dinners. Wellspring held a breast cancer support group – I liked it, but I was the youngest.

How are you connected with Young Adult Cancer?
I honestly can’t remember how I heard about Young Adult Cancer but I am so happy that I did. When I heard about the retreat, I inquired right away because I thought it was perfect for where I was at the time of my treatment and I could be around others my own age going through the same thing. The experience was amazing and I’m so happy that I’m still in contact with others that went to the retreat. After the retreat, I’ve been exploring the website, slowly, but love the idea of where young adults can go and share whatever and find others with same concerns.

If you are interested in connecting with Kara Ann Peseski please email connect@youngadultcancer.ca.