Diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago, Quebec resident Francine Gervais vowed to take on the disease – and win
by Francine Fiore
Francine Gervais is a fighter – and a winner. She started her battle against breast cancer eight years ago, and hasn’t looked back since. The 58-year-old teacher, now retired, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. As is often the case for women, the lump in her breast was first discovered by her husband. Concerned, she went to a health clinic,
where the doctor discounted her fears as possible mastitis, or inflammation of the breast. A mammography examination, however, revealed two tumours in Gervais’s left breast. They were surgically removed, but this wasn’t the end of her treatment – just the first step. As soon as the bandages from that surgery were taken off, her doctor informed her that she must next undergo a mastectomy – a complete removal of the breast – because the first surgery had been insufficient. The news hit her like a brick. “I thought we were done, but we had to start all over again,” she says. This second surgery was followed by
chemotherapy and nearly three years of oral tamoxifen therapy. Recently, Gervais underwent breast reconstruction surgery. “It was like turning over a new leaf,” she says. “I feel so much better physically and psychologically because I can finally dress the way I want to.”
Staying strong
While Gervais’s battle was anything but a walk in the park, the survivor says she never conceded to self-pity. She kept busy and set goals for herself. “I regularly make a list of all the things I’ve always wanted to do,” she says. “And I make these dreams come true as often as possible. It’s my lifesaver.” Another constructive step she took was committing to volunteer work. Gervais helps others who are struggling to overcome the disease. She has a busy schedule as Quebec’s representative in the Canadian Breast Cancer Network, a group of organizations and individuals fighting the disease. She’s also involved with the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation’s peer-support Listening Services, available through the Sérénité support program. If that
weren’t enough, she’ll also soon be teaching the Lebed Method, an exercise technique based on dance and movement to help women regain flexibility after surgery.
Citing the statistic that one out of nine women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, Gervais says women need to talk more about the disease. Awareness is key to winning this battle. Of her own journey from patient to survivor to activist, Gervais says simply, “To give is to receive.”
For more info on breast cancer, visit:
> The Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation at www.rubanrose.org
> The Canadian Cancer Society at www.cancer.ca
> ReThink Breast Cancer at www.rethinkbreastcancer.com
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