Statistics show that one in eight women in Canada will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Marjoline Trottier, who lives in Cobourg, was one of them. She was diagnosed with triple negative Stage 2 breast cancer in 2016 when she was just 39 years old. She shared her story of survival at the Beyond Breast Cancer event Oct. 25 at Northumberland Hills Hospital, where she received chemotherapy treatment.
“When you do have a normal life you don’t know that this is happening. It’s almost like a parallel world and when you enter it’s almost like your family in a way,” Trottier said.
As October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the hospital hosted a free community information event which included discussions, displays and presentation.
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Trottier said that while her life instantly turned upside down filled with hospital visits and operations, she is thankful for the loving and caring people in her community and those who work at the hospital who helped her get through it.
“We’re laughing, we talk about music, we talk about the actual treatment, we talk about the pain, we cry sometimes with the staff so they become your family,” she said.
One of the key speakers at the session was Dr. Ralph George, the director of CIBC Breast Centre at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. He said treatments have improved immensely over the years, resulting in higher survival rates.
“The key to the success of breast cancer today has been twofold. It’s been targeted therapies — therapies that are directed to the individual rather than the mean, and early detection,” George said.
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He adds, while many are beating the disease every day, there is still a lot of work to do.
That’s where groups like the Survivor Thrivers come in. They are a support group based out of Cobourg for people facing breast cancer.
“We’re here for the Beyond Breast Cancer event to offer them support to let them know they can find fitness, fun, friendship and support through the Survivor Thrivers,” Nancy Marshall, the group’s president, said.
Trottier has been in remission since April and while she said she lived a very good life before her cancer, she did take something away from her experience.
“I am so aware of what life is, what the important things in life are … it sounds cliché, but happiness, love, compassion,” Trottier said.
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