Breast Cancer Survivor Finds Haven in Survivorship Programs

It was the holiday season when Robin Leja found a painful lump in her breast. It wasn’t the kind of surprise she was hoping for. She was focused on spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. But life comes at you fast sometimes, even when you’re taking it slow.

Leja was diagnosed in January 2017, had a lumpectomy and reconstruction in March, and started chemotherapy in May. Her beloved garden would have to wait that spring.

“It was a rough time,” she recalled. “I was quite ill. I think I had every side effect!”

She started radiation treatments soon after that, then 5 years of hormone therapy. It was a long road. But fortunately there was a rest stop along the way.

Mount Carmel’s Survivorship Programs (formerly known as Haven of Hope) offered a chair yoga class that Leja thought might “get me back on my feet,” she said. If it’s possible to get back on your feet while sitting down, it did just that. She started going Mondays and Wednesdays and not only built her strength and stamina back but built a little survivorship community, too.

“The social aspect was huge,” she said. “I really longed for the connection it brought.”

So she started taking art classes, going on picnics, and coming to see visiting speakers as well. “It was so helpful during my recovery from treatment. It was a point in my life when I really needed movement and engagement to not feel sick or controlled by my illness. It helped me get back out in the world.”

Unfortunately, that world shrank during her recovery. The Covid pandemic meant she could no longer attend classes and programs in person. But she still maintains the friendships and connections she made. They’re just online now. And she learned a lot from the experience.

“Treatment changed who I am,” Leja shared. “I felt so much better physically after I ended my medication, but the fear of recurrence weighs on my mind. I’m definitely more protective and proactive about my health now, and I probably speak my mind more. But I’m also more compassionate and more aware of how important compassion is in our everyday interactions. We just don’t know what’s going on in each other’s lives. Cancer is rough. You’re sad and you grieve sometimes. That’s OK. You don’t owe the world a smile. But we should all be more compassionate.”

She’s also grateful. To her surgeon, Dr. Shilpa Padia, who kept her so informed and helped her make smart treatment decisions, like having her removal and reconstruction at the same time. To her oncologist, Dr. Taral Patel, who saw her as a person rather than a patient. And to her husband, Brian, who she called her foundation.

“I felt a lot of support from my family, my doctors, and the friends I made along the way,” she added. “Those are the things I focus on now, along with my crafts and gardening. They’re the things that bring me joy.”

And, not surprisingly, hope.