Stories of Strength
Confidence Through Care
Allison Norman finds strength, support and a sense of herself during cancer treatment.
Just six months ago, Allison Norman’s life took a turn she never expected; she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
“My family has a history of cysts, so that’s what I thought I had found,” she said. “There’s no family history of breast cancer, so receiving that news felt like a gut punch.”
The 33-year-old mother of two still has a battle ahead of her, but her family, friends and the Sarah Bush Lincoln Regional Cancer Center staff are helping her stay positive.
As a loving mother, Allison finds not being fully present with her five-year-old daughter and two-year-old son indescribably difficult. “There are a lot of days where my husband does everything because I am so weak and exhausted,” she said. “There are times when my daughter will bring me a blanket or something else and say, ‘It’s okay, Mommy.’ She shouldn’t have to take care of me. I need to take care of her.”
Though constraints and negative thoughts pop up, the upbeat nature of everyone around Allison feeds her drive to win the fight. “My family and my friends have built such a positive support system around me, and that helps me every day,” she said. “The care I receive at Sarah Bush Lincoln is the cherry on top.”
Led by SBL Oncologist Abdul Shakir, MD, the SBL Regional Cancer Center staff has impressed Allison from the beginning. “Everyone at the cancer center, even the other patients, always has a smile on their face and is supportive,” Allison said. “It creates such a wonderful atmosphere.”
Dr. Shakir instilled confidence in Allison from day one. He let her have a moment to cry after receiving the diagnosis, and then he carefully laid out her care plan. “Dr. Shakir is fantastic. He fist-bumps me every time he sees me, and he always reassures me and explains everything thoroughly,” she said.
Allison finished chemotherapy in March. She will have a double mastectomy in May and thereafter receive radiation therapy.
Family, friends and SBL staff make up the pillars of Allison’s support system during her battle, but another component giving her confidence is the cool cap she wore during chemotherapy treatments.
Cooling caps can help reduce hair loss during treatment, and keeping as much of her hair as possible was important for Allison.
“I am very proud of my hair, and when the staff told me about the cooling cap, I knew I wanted to use it,” she said. “My hair is part of who I am. The staff told me if I had not used it, I likely would have been bald by the end of my chemotherapy.”
Even though Allison has noticed some minor changes with her hair, the fact that she kept a lot of it was a positive chapter in her journey.
To learn more about the SBL Regional Cancer Center, call 217 258-2250 or the SBL Pulmonology Clinic at 217-258-4158.