Survivor Series: Lindy Faussett

One morning as she was getting ready, Lindy Faussett felt a lump on her breast, causing immediate alarm.

“It was October of 2015, right before my birthday,” Faussett said. “I discovered the lump, and days later I was at the hospital for a scan and biopsy.”

Even before the biopsy test results, the doctor pretty confidently confirmed a breast cancer diagnosis, which he was able to do because of the coloring of the sample. Technically, the cancer was stage one in form, but because it had spread to Faussett’s lymph nodes, it was deemed stage two cancer.

“He said ‘I hope I am wrong, but I am not wrong,’” Faussett said. “Sure enough, he wasn’t. When I received the test results, the results showed stage two cancer.”

Faussett immediately began chemotherapy. She traveled two hours to and from every other week for the treatment.

“I had the choice to go every week, but I had a two-year-old at the time and didn’t want to leave him so often,” said Faussett. “As a result, the chemo was more intense because I wasn’t receiving it more frequently. Each time I received it, I was out for days at a time because it took such a toll on my body and made me exhausted.”

After a few months of chemo, Faussett began radiation and ultimately underwent surgery to remove any trace of the cancer. Unlike the chemo, the radiation was local, and she was able to make it part of her daily routine. By mid-summer, Fausset was in full recovery mode. However, her body continued to take a toll from all it had been through for almost a year.

“People forget about how hard the healing process is sometimes,” said Faussett.

What made recovery even more challenging for Faussett was what her body had also been through in the years leading up to discovering the cancer.

“A year after having my son, I had to have my appendix removed,” said Faussett. “A year after having my appendix removed, I discovered the breast cancer. It was a lot over the course of basically 24 months or so.”

Throughout her cancer journey, Faussett’s family has offered key love and support.

“I have a devoted and dedicated husband who has been with me every step of the way,” said Faussett. “Spouses go through a lot, too, during the cancer diagnosis. My husband was able to get connected to a group that could also offer him support, as he offered me support.”

Faussett’s mother and sister were also integral to Faussett’s fight.

“I’m lucky to have such a wonderful family. My mom and sister are always there for me and continue to be,” Faussett said. “My kids were also a huge part of this story. Seeing them laugh and have fun was a great distraction from what was going on. I wanted to get healthy for them.”

Just over a decade later, Faussett remains cancer-free. At 47 years old, she is active, healthy, and grateful to have survived breast cancer.