Rooted in Faith, Fueled by Family Surviving Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Rooted in Faith, Fueled by Family

Surviving Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Gideon Thompson

The Ashland Beacon

Treatment for breast cancer varies with each administration, as everyone’s bodies will react differently. Where one person may benefit from immunotherapy, which utilizes drugs to elevate the immune system, others may require a different approach involving surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. At times, a combination of treatment methods may be used to not only slow the cancer but also alter its path and inevitably destroy the cancer cells entirely. Any of the treatments for breast cancer are taxing and come with a long list of side effects that slow us in our daily pursuits for happiness.

Chemotherapy is one of the more aggressive breast cancer treatments available today. Several types of chemotherapy have been developed, such as immunotherapies, antibiotics, plant alkaloids, antimetabolites, alkylating agents, topoisomerase inhibitors, and different types of targeted therapies. All treatments are administered with the focus of reducing cancer development and building the body’s natural ability to defend against unwanted cell production. With chemotherapy comes a long road of recovery, as the treatments bring with them great discomfort and time consumption. Surviving chemotherapy is different for everyone who experiences it. One person may experience very few side effects, while others may take on all known responses associated with the drugs in use. One thing is certain with chemotherapy, and that is patients respond best when in good company.

Amanda Bowling, a 2010 graduate from Boyd County High School and resident of Ashland, Kentucky, was diagnosed with breast cancer on December 6th, 2024. At the age of 32, Mrs. Bowling was presented with a life-changing diagnosis that has reshaped her life entirely. Shifting from her job in education to focus on her fight with breast cancer, Amanda Bowling has had her entire world altered. Time has been a factor in the decision to stay home, as time must be taken for the treatments as well as the recovery from the effects of the process. Some of the symptoms of her journey have been loss of hair, lowered appetite, and thrush, resulting in more rest and recovery. Where Mrs. Bowling is now can be difficult for most to withstand, as the chemotherapy can reduce mental clarity and cause high levels of tiredness. With the struggle one experiences while undergoing chemotherapy and the mindset that comes with it, Mrs. Bowling has persevered with hope and faith. When asked what motivated her to continue with treatment, Amanda responded that she focuses on her family. Support from her loving husband and children has kept her strong and committed.

Breast cancer can be caused by many factors, such as genetic predisposition to exposures from cancer-causing chemicals. Mrs. Bowling’s family has had very few cases of breast cancer, leaving treatment up to finding the right method to counter the invasive cell growth. Response to the chemotherapy Mrs. Bowling has been receiving has been positive, as she continues to fight. As with her family, Mrs. Bowling acknowledged that other supporting factors in her recovery are fellow church members. Amanda and her family are members of Gateway Church, located on Blackburn Ave., and have been attending when able through her journey with chemotherapy.

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, their mind may begin to drift into unsavory places as they begin to contemplate their lives and the meaning they have attached to it. What we build a foundation on is capable of being reformed with a single diagnosis. The mindset that comes with cancer treatment is based on many factors, such as support, financial stability, and responses to the treatment. With the odds against her, Amanda Bowling has overcome many struggles with her treatment, beginning with insurance denials. From the beginning, she had trouble with her treatments, as insurance wasn’t aligned with her needs and prescribed treatments, resulting in delays and further uncertainty. A scary and unknown future was presented to her, and as a result, she has become stronger and more knowledgeable of the process she is undergoing.

Since her long journey to recovery began, Amanda Bowling has faced the unknown with her family and community at her side. Having been able to stay home from work, she has noted that she has gotten to watch her family grow and that she thrives because of them. She hopes to overcome her diagnosis with breast cancer to see her family grow old. The changes that have come with Amanda’s diagnosis have grounded the world around her, as she sees things differently now. Having been asked what changes have been made in her life during treatment, Amanda responded, “There haven’t been a lot of changes other than being home more and treatment. I Don’t take things for granted and I don’t let the little things bother me.”

Mrs. Bowling will be continuing with her chemotherapy until satisfactory results have been accomplished. With support from everyone in her life, hopefully her long journey to recovery will be made easier and less destructive. Undergoing chemotherapy at stage 4, as with Mrs. Bowling, requires aggressive sessions in which she undergoes cycles of treatment administered intermittently until results are satisfactory. The average duration of treatment for someone with stage 4 breast cancer is 6 months to a year, in cycles occurring every 2-3 weeks. The deciding factors in those types of chemotherapy are up to the oncologists involved, as each patient is unique, and with them comes their own risk factors. Through treatment and with support from those who love her, Amanda Bowling pushes on.