The Patient Experience This first-hand account is from an actual Loyola University Health System patient who received care for breast cancer. Her story offers a unique perspective on our patient experience. We hope you find it helpful. Healing Both Mind and Body When her younger sister died of breast cancer at age 44, Carla Peer was both grieved and stunned. As a result, Carla became more proactive about safeguarding her own health. "I didn't smoke or drink, and I leaned toward a low-fat, plant-based diet," Carla said. "I also underwent genetic testing to ensure that I wasn't at increased risk for breast cancer due to inherited mutations of the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 genes." Carla was understandably shaken when she was diagnosed with breast cancer after undergoing a yearly screening mammogram in October 2005. "When I found out that I had breast cancer, I decided to seek treatment at Loyola University Health System," Carla said. She had a lumpectomy and a lymph node biopsy, which revealed that the cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes. "I was afraid, but I resolved to recover successfully with my doctors' help." Carla underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation at the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center from January through May 2006. She endured the hair loss and fatigue typically associated with aggressive treatment of cancer, while placing confidence in her highly trained caregivers and finding continual encouragement in her surroundings. "My doctors provided both extensive knowledge and compassionate care, and I felt intuitively throughout my treatment that I was meant to be at Loyola," Carla said. "Before my first visit, a friend whom I had turned to for support gave me a card with a black and white	ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Why Choose Loyola Learn why Loyola is the right choice Becoming a Patient Learn more about your visit to Loyola Our Services Learn more about our continuum of services Meet Our Team Read about our breast care experts Our Locations Find out about our breast care facilities The Patient Experience Share our patients' journeys toward health For Health Care Professionals Learn more about Loyola Research Breakthroughs lead to innovative treaments
photograph depicting a sculpture of loving hands cradling a small child's head. When I saw the same photograph at Loyola's Coleman Foundation Image Renewal Center, it reinforced my faith that I was in the right place." Carla, a retired director of a women's ministry and doting grandmother of four, fought breast cancer with a grace fueled by faith and the prayers of friends and family, and she found newfound strength in holistic care. At Loyola's Coleman Foundation Image Renewal Center, Carla received services that were tailored to her needs as a cancer patient such as acupuncture to stimulate her immune system and fight nausea, rejuvenating facials, and manicures and pedicures. She also received a compression sleeve, which helps prevent lymphedema by applying enough pressure to avert potentially dangerous fluid build-up. "The renewal center was like an oasis in a war zone," Carla said. "With cancer, there's the biology of the disease and the biology of the person, and they're equally important. I believe Loyola is at the forefront of realizing the magnitude of the mind-body connection and treating the whole person." After her battle with breast cancer, Carla has a changed perspective on life and now lives every day to the fullest as a beginning watercolor painter and an avid gardener and golfer. Peer: "I was meant to be at Loyola."
Call (888) LUHS-888 to schedule a screening mammogram with a Loyola physician near you. Back to Top