triple-negative breast cancer (tnbc) awareness day: how one woman turned diagnosis into advocacy and representation
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patricia russell survived triple-negative breast cancer twice and now uses her experiences to help others navigate their own cancer journeys.
patricia russell
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when patricia russell was first diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (tnbc) at the age of 38, it felt like a “kick in the stomach.” at the time, she hadn’t known much about breast cancer or many others who had gotten the diagnosis. she knew of one other person who had gotten breast cancer, and they had died as a direct result.
in her mind, when the doctors told her she had tnbc, she thought that her life was going to be cut short—and she was not done living it yet. she had two young children, a wonderful marriage which she describes as being “married to her best friend” and a busy career working as a minister, speaker, coach, and writer.
“it was a hard time emotionally and mentally. but i also had to bring those things in,” she said. “i had two young children, a husband, i had a busy life, and i was loving life, and i wanted to live.”
patricia made a pact with herself after being diagnosed that her diagnosis was not going to take her life.
learning more about tnbc and its representation
at the time, patricia noticed there was very little representation of the african diaspora in the media in regard to breast cancer. she wasn’t seeing people that looked like her in terms of “my colour in women” as part of any visual campaigns.
“emotionally, i went on a roller coaster because even at the time when i was diagnosed, i had attempted to be proactive in educating myself on maintaining health. breast cancer had just now started to be talked about on programs like your oprah program,” she said. “it had just started getting a voice.”
during her research, she found that tnbc was not only underrepresented in the african community. it also affected this group of women disproportionally. black women are three times more likely to develop this type of cancer, and the treatment approach is also different because of how women’s bodies handle various cancer therapies.
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“we just respond to things, to this type of cancer very differently,” she said. “when i was diagnosed, my doctor clearly said to me … he just told me you have the bad one. you have the strong one and we are going to have to attack it.”
because patricia was so young, her treatment had to be done swiftly to ensure the best chances for her survival. and when she went through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, she came out on the other side with a newfound sense of responsibility to others in her community.
due to the lack of representation and information available regarding tnbc when she was first diagnosed, patricia decided that while she was going to do what she had to do for herself to get better, when she came out on the other side, it was imperative that she used her experience to help others like her find hope in what felt like an otherwise hopeless situation.
a second tnbc diagnosis armed with more knowledge
after patricia was deemed cancer-free the first time around, she was ready and willing to share her experience to help others—and that’s what she did. she began speaking about tnbc to others, creating a community for those who are underrepresented in the breast cancer media she had access to with her diagnosis.
then, patricia was diagnosed with tnbc a second time.
“i was angry at the disease,” she said. “how dare you come knocking on my door again, number one. then i was also angry at myself because i went through, again, that emotional, mental roller coaster, you know. most women will say, ‘well, what did i do?’”
patricia began asking herself why she didn’t keep her guard up against a recurrence, but the self-blame didn’t last long because she knew that she now had more work to do so that she could get healthy again, and she wasn’t going to let a second diagnosis keep her down for long.
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“i said, ‘well, look, girl, you’re not the first one to receive this diagnosis,’” she said. “‘so, take all of the ammunition, all of the lessons that you learned the last time, pull yourself together and okay, let’s go. let’s fight again.’ and so, i did, and this time i was a little bit more educated, and because i had come through it, i had a little bit more fight.”
she reached for the silver lining in her situation and decided that having tnbc twice was a part of her greater purpose and that she could use her experience to help others even more significantly.
she began advocating, going to speaking events and working with the olive branch of hope, an organization dedicated to supporting black women with breast cancer. she also goes to school to talk to young people because even though they’re not the prime audience for breast cancer. she makes it a point to arm “them with the life skills” they need to deal with a diagnosis as they get older as an integral part of her way of supporting women who may also have to walk in the same shoes.
patricia hopes to help as many people as possible—both those who are young enough to never have thought about breast cancer to those who may already have it on their radar—learn how to navigate their health for the better.
“we, as black women, tend to be taking care of the family, taking care of, you know, their relationships, taking care of their children, carrying a lot. and we think that that is something that’s normal, that’s something natural,” she said. “and i try to encourage women to say, you know what, we’re not god. we don’t have to be god to everybody, and we do have to take care of ourselves.”
being a pillar for others and for herself
while advocating for others is a significant part of patricia’s life, her experience has also taught her about overall health and how taking care of oneself is just as important as showing up for others in a tangible way.
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because of her experiences with tnbc, she has become increasingly aware of her mortality, as well as how important it is to handle people with care and give as much as possible while you can.
“i believe in sowing and reaping, and i believe that when i give out, it will come back. i’m not looking for it to come back, but i would want that for me,” she said. “i want to be able to give other women what i know i needed, what i know i wanted, and they may not even be able to give language to it, or they might be afraid (to ask).”
when it comes to her health, patricia describes herself as a “health nerd.” she is mindful of her relationships and connections with others, her diet, her exercise in nature, and her time spent getting to the root of any issues before she jumps into treatment.
she continues to view the world in a positive light because she wants her experience to be one that allows her to come out on the other side “better, not bitter.”
as for other women who are going through the same thing, patricia wants them to know that whatever they are feeling at the time is okay, but they get to decide how to approach their journey as unique as it will be.
“there’s a roller coaster of emotions that you’re going to go through. be angry. let those feelings rip through, but don’t stay there. you get to be there for a time because you’re probably in one of the biggest fights of your life, and as an individual, you are very responsible for how you navigate the ship,” she said.
she continued, “we’ve all had different life experiences, so nobody’s journey is going to be a copycat of the next person. if i was talking to a woman who would have just been diagnosed, i would want to say to her, like i said before, let the emotions flow, but you get to decide. decide from the beginning how you want this to play out. make the decision that you are going to fight and that you are going to use everything within you to fight. i would say to women, let your voice be heard. know that your story can empower and educate somebody else.”
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more resources for tnbc can be found at expose tnbc.
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