Turning Point: Breast Cancer

When Suzanne Mulenos was diagnosed with breast cancer, she made a decision: “I decided to take more from cancer than it took from me,” she said. “I was in a position to do that because I was fortunate enough to have been diagnosed early.”

This attitude typified both Suzanne's battle with breast cancer and her life beyond breast cancer. As a registered nurse, fitness instructor, and personal trainer, Suzanne was already a highly motivated, positive person. Her cancer diagnosis simply deepened those character traits.

Suzanne considers herself “one of the lucky ones.” Her nurse practitioner had warned her that she was at an increased risk for developing breast cancer because she had her first child at the late age of 36 and began menstruating at the early age of 9. While some might consider this warning sinister, Suzanne sees it as a blessing. It was this advice from her nurse practitioner that encouraged Suzanne to take a proactive approach toward screening for breast cancer.

Suzanne had her first mammogram at the age of 37 and in the ensuing years, she performed semi-frequent self breast exams. Suzanne was 43 years old when she found a lump in her left breast during one of her self exams. “It was the classic, hard, fixed, ominous, pea-sized lump,” she said.

A few weeks later, she had a mammogram. “The technician was very chatty with me before the mammogram, but then she got very quiet. I'm a nurse. I knew that body language. I knew she had seen something that didn't look good.” Suddenly, the technician was taking multiple shots of both breasts.

As it turned out, the lump in Suzanne's left breast was a small benign cyst; however, that cyst may have saved her life by prompting her to get that mammogram. Her nurse practitioner delivered the diagnosis later that day: Suzanne had extensive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in her right breast. DCIS is the earliest possible clinical diagnosis of breast cancer and is believed to be a direct precursor to invasive breast cancer.

Suzanne dealt with her cancer diagnosis in much the same way that she deals with her life, by taking action immediately. Twelve days after her diagnosis, she had a full mastectomy of her right breast and a total lymphectomy. Not even a full mastectomy could keep this woman down. Nine days after her surgery, she was on the treadmill for a mild workout. Once she had her stitches removed, she returned to teaching her fitness classes.

In preparation for her first class, Suzanne got what she thought would be the best “falsie” designed for active women. She laughs as she relates how halfway through the class, the falsie failed and was drooping well below her left breast. Finally, she just yanked it out and continued to teach class.

The spunk with which Suzanne leads her fitness classes is apparent in the way she leads her life as well. “I wasn't going to wallow in the what-ifs,” she said. “All we ever have is today, so I knew I had to make the most of every day.” One of Suzanne's priorities was to protect her family. She had a 7-year-old daughter who was already starting to grow breasts and she said, “I didn't want her to be fearful of her impending womanhood.”

So, Suzanne scheduled her radiation treatment during the day while her daughter was at school. Suzanne underwent radiation 5 days a week for 8 weeks. She drove herself to her radiation treatments every day. She said, “I'm a multi-tasker, so I would meditate during my radiation treatment.” She was exhausted, but she took her naps before her daughter returned home from school each day.

Suzanne was determined not to let cancer keep her down. She used fitness as a vehicle for regaining her health. She said, “I needed to tell myself that I was a well person in order to regain my wellness.” She was extremely fit prior to her surgery. One of the first choices she made when she returned to her exercise regimen was to train for a triathlon.

A former competitive swimmer, Suzanne decided that she could train for the swimming portion of a triathlon. She started swimming shortly after her stitches were removed. “The first time I got into the water, I couldn't even bring my arm out of the water, but I decided that I would train until I could swim a respectable half mile,” she said. With her infectious enthusiasm, she recruited two other cancer survivors to complete the biking and running portions of the triathlon. Seven months later, the three completed the triathlon and won first place in the survivor class.

Suzanne certainly never wallowed in those what-ifs. Even now, she continues to use fitness as a tool for cancer recovery, now as a mentor for other cancer survivors. She has dedicated her personal training business exclusively to cancer patients. Once her clients are released from their doctor's care, Suzanne gently guides them toward creating a healthy lifestyle.

Suzanne refers to her cancer as a turning point in her life. Somehow, she has maintained her spunky attitude through the journey. A former brunette, Suzanne said, “For my 50th birthday, I went blonde and bought rollerblades.” Now that's a turning point of another kind!

Date Created: 6/2/2005
Date Modified: 9/20/2005