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 “Stay Calm,” LuAnn Leclerc whispered to herself as she felt the presence of a lump in her breast in September of 2002. She silently prayed, “This has to be nothing.”
An ultrasound, which prompted a biopsy, proved the lump was more than “nothing.” It was cancer. As LuAnn reflects on this memory, she sits at her desk, with a sense of pride at how far she has come. Not only is she a cancer survivor, she is also the office administrator of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Connecticut Affiliate.
LuAnn’s ordeal has been all too familiar to her and her family. Her mother, Flora Vegi, passed away from metastasized breast cancer in 2004. Vegi’s courage was an inspiration for LuAnn that enabled her to become the survivor she is today. “Because of my mother and other people I knew who had gone through the disease, I knew I was going to be a survivor.”
Enduring the Treatment
On October 17, 2002, LuAnn underwent a lumpectomy. The cancer was caught at a very early stage; there was no lymph node involvement. LuAnn then opted for precautionary chemo and radiation. It was during this time that LuAnn was able to use her sense of humor in an effort to cope. Faced with the prospect of hair loss, she invited her close friends to her home for a, “hair cutting party.” She did not hide her baldness, and shared her experience with her cousin’s third grade class. She also was proactive in her lifestyle; most importantly, she held onto her hope and faith and pulled strength from her family and friends.
During the time of her chemotherapy, LuAnn said that the hardest part was the way in which it affected her children. In an effort to assuage the stress they were undergoing, the mother of two gave her children a “wishing stone.” As she told them, “Don’t worry; rub your stone and turn your worries into a wish.” Every time they did this, she told them that their wishes would one day come true.
The last day of her radiation, LuAnn walked into the oncology wing of the UConn Health Center with a special present for the doctors and nurses that she saw every day for six months. She presented them each with a bottle of bubbles. Together they celebrated, watching the bubbles float away, much like the cancer that was no longer present in LuAnn’s body.
Turning Adversity into Prosperity
At the time LuAnn was diagnosed, she was working for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. She stated that work taught her to practice what she preached to the many young children she came across that were afflicted with cystic fibrosis. “I let them know that I made the disease a part of my life; I did not make it my whole life.”
LuAnn commented on her attitude toward cancer, “Once you are diagnosed with cancer, you can either let the cancer consume you, or you can consume the cancer.” She has taken this adage to a whole new level. Not only did she conquer her own cancer, but in essence, she is conquering the cancer of thousands of women in CT as she spreads the mission of Komen for the Cure.
Moving Forward
October 17, 2007, marked the five-year milestone for LuAnn. As the date approached, she was more and more relieved. LuAnn has experienced much throughout the past years, and looks at this mark as a threshold she eagerly awaits to cross. She realizes how lucky she has been, and knows that the bumps in the road along the way have brought her to Komen for the Cure.
Before the “anniversary” of her cancer, LuAnn was asked how she would celebrate this day. LuAnn stated that she takes everything one day at a time. “I know I want to be with my children, granddaughter, and my wonderful boyfriend,” she said. However, if we asked, it’s almost certain that LuAnn and her two-year-old granddaughter blew a bubble or two on her special day.
This story was written by Lauren Parise, a student at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, and an intern with Susan G. Komen for the Cure Connecticut Affiliate. Lauren lost her mother, Cecelia Parise, to breast cancer in 2006.
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