Meet Anna-Lena
This is Anna-Lena, she’s 57 years old. In 2016, she was diagnosed with a deadly breast cancer. In this article we tell you about Anna-Lena’s fear of leaving her daughter, how her humor took her through the darkest hours, about the “Death Club”, how she in all this found love and how she survived against all odds.
The cancer was discovered on a mammography in March 2016. Anna-Lena had postponed her appointment for 3 months because it collided with other commitments in life. If she had waited another month, she would not have lived today. On her mammography, she was told that she had a cancer with the highest mortality and that the doctors couldn’t tell how much time she had left.
“That was very scary to hear. The most frightening thing was not all the painful treatments I would have to go through, but the threat of having to leave my daughter Sara.”
"The death club"
The day after the cancer was discovered, a 4 months’ chemotherapy treatment started. In August, the sick breast was removed. The cancer had, fortunately, not spread to other body parts, which the doctors were initially afraid of. After the surgery, Anna-Lena stayed at a patient hotel two days a week to receive treatments.
“I lived there with several other cancer patients. I called ourselves the “Death Club”. She says, laughing. She continues:
“Throughout my treatments, I used my humor to try to make the best out of the situation. Without my sense of humor, it would not have been possible. Everything turned upside down and got a new meaning, I appreciated new things. For example, every day is a chance to live."
It's Easter 2017. After many treatments Anna-Lena felt she wanted to do something fun again, so she took up the dancing.
"Panic attacks were a part of my daily life because of the fear of getting sick again, but when I danced I just seized the moments and felt pure joy."
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