Doris Barake (00:06):
My name is Doris Barake and I survival for breast cancer. I start feeling sick in 2006. And I went to see my doctor, my primary doctor, and he say, “Don’t worry, I think you getting weight.” And I never have too much weight in my life, but I believe him. I went to house. But after the week I start feeling the same uncomfortable shoulder pain. When I move it, when I go to bed, I feel pain in my shoulder and in the back too. And the doctor asking me, “What are you feeling? Are feeling sores?” He said, “No, I don’t feel it. But the pain, yes. I don’t feel nothing when I have my exam by myself.” And he said, “No, it’s nothing you can worry. I don’t see Swiss cancer.” He sent to me, I make a blood test and he say, “No, don’t worry.

(00:59):
Everything is okay.” When my doctor say, my primary doctor say, “Don’t worry, that’s not like you imagine it’s a cancer.” We went to New York for two weeks, three weeks with my husband. And in that time, I don’t feel comfortable. I feel something wrong in my body. Painful and very different, like no energy.

(01:28):
Sometime I feel I want to cry. I feel uncomfortable. I can’t explain what was it, but it’s different. Different. And I say, “The doctor is not right, my primary doctor. Something wrong in my body and I have to go and looking for another opinion.” My nephew is a doctor and he recommended go to the Dr. In Covington. And she told me we need to start doing some specific tests and give me the ultrasound and they show my big tumor in my breast and I start doing the test and she told me, “Yes, you have cancer.” And it’s very aggressive. We have to start doing something and I’m going to call the oncology, a very good one. And that’s it we did. When I finished see Dr. Barnagera, she recommended go see the oncologist. The oncologist may recommend first before the surgeon, I have to have a chemo, estrange my tumor.

(02:45):
And when I finish the session, he say, “No, the chemo not do nothing like we expect and we need go to the surgery.” It was when they have my mastectomy, single mastectomy. And when I finished the single mastectomy, I start my chemo immediately for six months. After the six months, doctor recommended radiation and when I finished the whole treatment, almost nine months, the doctor said, “Would you like to have the reconstruction?” And he recommended me a few doctors and I have first opinion, second opinion, and I don’t feel comfortable with that opinion. And when I told me Dr. Sullivan is one of the best reconstruction after the cancer and I came to see him for the first time, it was pretty good impression for the first time. And I told him I’m going to think about it and I come back to see. But inside my mind was very, very scary and way like a year and a half.

(04:05):
And in the middle of the year and a half, I went to see Dr. Sullivan for second time, third time, and finally I decide I have my reconstruction. It was the best, the best decision because I was uncomfortable. I don’t want to go out. I don’t want to do exercise. I don’t want to do anything in too many people in front of me. Dr. Sullivan gave me the impression, explain me in my own natural work, how was the procedures? And I was happy. And I asked him a lot of questions. He answered the question. He take the time and explain me and I was a little much, much comfortable. And I start taking the decision, she goes with him to the surgery. Dr. Sullivan recommended if I remove another breast, it’s more easy and better for me, more even the surgery when reconstruction. And we did.

(05:10):
The surgery was six hours and two nights in the recovery room. And I went to home and I start have a fashion with the pain and everything. And the first time when I put my clothes and go out, oh my God, it was so different. And I started saying, “Thank you, Dr. Sullivan, how I find you. ” After my reconstruction, maybe at three months, I can say very well.

(05:45):
I was fabulous. I feel I can swimming, I can go to the camping. I go everywhere with my husband because I feel more comfortable. Can I use a different clothes? And everybody say, “Oh mommy, you look so good.” And that’s true. I feel good inside. It’s emotional. It’s very important because when you don’t have some part of your body, you feel not normal. And now I feel so marvelous, marvelous. Dr. Sullivan have a beautiful and marvelous hand and brain. Yes. He did a good job, wonderful job. I’m very, very happy and I recommend that anybody I can when I talk about my reconstruction. When somebody asking me, especially in my work, because I’m working with the public, and a lot of people with survival for cancer, and I recommend this situation because Dr. Sullivan give you time to explain in different way, not only one way.

(06:55):
You can have a tummy tub, you can have a liposuction, you can have implant, you can have whatever is your body comfortable with that. And he explain you give you a lot of time to tell him what is the best for you. You have to have different opinion. You have to feel comfortable with your opinion because it’s your body, it’s your decision. And one and one is the doctor, you in the hand for the doctor, your life.

(07:26):
One more thing. I forgot telling you about the team and the hospital and the clinic. That’s amazing. That’s beautiful. Each one, the nurse, the secretary, the assistant, everybody is professional and is very, very polite and kind people. Now, my friend, my friend, everybody close to me want to see my breasts, and I’m so happy to show up.