Regina was diagnosed with stage 2b Triple Negative Breast Cancer in 2004. She did all the right moves and all the treatments. On Jan 3, 2016 she went to the doctor because it was time for my yearly mammogram and an old scar was hurting from 2004.
After the mammogram, she knew something wasn’t right since she had been through the process before. They sent her straight in for an ultra sound, which led to a biopsy. Luckily, she had the same surgeon from before and she called me at home and told me to come straight to her office. Dr. Mia Schuh has done amazing things for women with breast cancer in her time as a doctor. She immediately set her up with a team at Mercy Breast and Cancer Center. She was diagnosed with de novo (from the beginning) metastasis to the spine (stage 4). This was not a reoccurrence. This time she was ER/PR positive Her 2 negative.
Even though she had been through breast cancer, she knew nothing about metastatic breast cancer, because it’s not talked about, noticed, or even discussed.
On February 23, 2017 she had a seizure and found out the breast cancer had metastasis to the brain. Surgery and radiation were the immediate treatment options for brain metastasis. She vowed to continue to advocate for better treatments for those who have metastatic breast cancer, even with this most recent diagnosis.
July 20, 2017 she had yet another seizure in which scans showed the cancer had invaded the meninges of her brain. Whole brain radiation was the option for treatment. 10 rounds and two weeks later she continued to decline with symptoms of headaches and back pain. October 4, 2017 she had a second lumbar puncture performed. This LP test indicated the cancer was in her spinal fluid which has few to no good options of survivable treatment.
Regina Cooley passed away Thursday, October 26, 2017.