CHERYL METIVIER

WITH every cancer survival story told, there are usually common themes of fear, anxiety, anger, panic even though many of them end in triumph.

Cindy Knowles's story is no different.

The Flow Trinidad accountant is a mother, sister, daughter, friend and aunt, and was willing to share her survival story with WMN in the hope that even one aspect of what she experienced will resonate with another woman who is somewhere on the trajectory that she has traversed.

“I wish I could be a stronger advocate, and I wish that in our homes, schools and churches, we spoke more about these illnesses,” Knowles said.

As is the case with many women who get breast cancer diagnosis, the element of shock is always present, followed quickly by denial – questioning the medical practitioner, the veracity of the results being presented, whatever it takes to delay confronting the painful and intimidating reality.

Knowles vividly remembers the day that she visited her doctor after observing that the physical appearance of her breasts was changing. This visit came after weeks of trying to convince herself that there was nothing to worry about. She said the abnormal appearance escalated quite quickly and it didn’t take the doctor too long to posit a possible cancer diagnosis.

[caption id="attachment_1114084" align="alignnone" width="768"] Cindy Knowles doing a round of chemo. -[/caption]

“He immediately said the word 'cancer,’” and denial kicked in.

“I refused to believe him. I returned to my car crying; I told myself, 'he can’t be right.'”

On that same day he referred her to a colleague, and she promptly made her way there, accompanied by her mother and her only daughter. Her interaction with that doctor left her somewhat comforted.

“You doh have nothing to be concerned about man, many women experience this, it’s like an infected cyst in your breast,” which was not malignant.

Over the next couple of months she would visit the doctor weekly to drain the "abscess." Each time the fluid and the adjoining tissue, would be tested, and the results showed that there were no cancer cells present.

“The doctor eventually suggested that we should do a ‘minor procedure’ to remove the cyst.”

In April 2022 the cyst was surgically removed, and tested for cancer cells, as the doctor surmised that the tissue looked like it could be cancerous. And she was back on that roller-coaster again.

“I was referred for a CT scan to confirm the presence of the cancer cells,” which was followed by a series of referrals and consultations with various medical specialists; each stage bringing increasing levels of anxiety with it, with evaluations of my situation switching between cancer this time, no cancer the next.

"I remember constantly wondering, 'is this my final diagnosis? I’m not even 40 yet, why am I going through this?'”

Consecutive tests eventually confirmed what had been apparent with the initial biopsies – she had breast cancer.

She and her doctors came up with a medical plan, beginning with chemotherapy, followed