Liona Sloendregt (33) has a chest tumor of no less than sixteen centimeters. There is a possibility that this tumor will turn into a malignant tumor with a risk of metastasis. To avoid this, she must undergo a mastectomy. Liona: “I had to go through a storm, but God gave me supernatural rest”.
“I’ve been under control since 2012 because I have some benign cysts and growths in my right breast. Fortunately, there was never anything serious that was wrong, but just to be sure, I was visited regularly. In 2018 I got pregnant and also felt a lump in the other breast. I thought something bigger was going on, but I was pregnant and your body changes naturally, so I didn’t do much about it at the time.
The tumor was now nine centimeters wide
Liona gives birth to a healthy child, but notices that the lump in her breast is getting bigger and bigger. “I was sent to the hospital, where biopsies and punctures were performed. It turned out that it was a benign tumor called a fibroadenoma. I didn’t have to do anything about it, but the tumor has grown really big. At the end of 2020 it was already nine centimeters tall. I didn’t worry for a moment; if it’s benign, it’s not a big deal. “
spontaneous abortions
Liona is also told several times that nothing serious is happening. However, not everything seems to be in order. “At the beginning of 2021 I got pregnant for the second time and the tumor grew even more. I ended up having a miscarriage. We cannot say if this is due to the tumor ”.
I was told it could be cancer after all
A few months later, Liona becomes pregnant again. “My husband and I were very happy, but my chest kept growing and I thought: this is not fair. At the hospital, the doctors were shocked because he had grown up so fast. A few days later I received a phone call: it was not a fibroadenoma at the bottom, but a phyllodes tumor: a very rare tumor halfway between benign and malignant. That’s why I was transferred to another hospital. Here I was told that they were afraid that it might be cancer after all and that it would spread.
In the same period, Liona has a miscarriage for the second time. “It was very intense, because I thought the pregnancy was going well and it was a bright spot in the storm. From the very first abortion I had the feeling that things were not going the right way. This time I didn’t see it coming. In hindsight, I’m glad I didn’t have to make the choice: did you operate yourself with all the consequences for your child or do you leave a high-risk cancer in place? ”
mastectomy
Liona needs surgery to remove her breast cancer. “Initially it was a breast preservation operation, but during the last exam the tumor was already sixteen centimeters in size. “Do you mind if I take your breasts off?” I was asked. That was a slap in the face. I pictured myself in the middle of the year with a pregnant belly and two breasts. Later it turned out that I would no longer be pregnant and would have one fewer breasts. It was a bizarre development. Yet I immediately experienced peace and accepted ”.
No internal prosthesis
“The doctor said, ‘We can’t place an internal prosthesis right away, but then we’ll make something nice out of it.’ I thought: soon, with only one breast, will I not be more beautiful? You’ve been hearing a lot lately about leaky dentures and what diseases they can cause. Also, it’s not nice to put something fake in my body. Even if a prosthesis can be shaped with its own body fat, it will never be a breast like God made it ”.
Am I not more beautiful with one breast?
Liona has never doubted her choice not to have an internal prosthesis made. You struggle with the ideal image imposed on women in today’s society. “I was given a bra with an external prosthesis right after the operation. Everyone expects me to put it on right away? You have to have two equal breasts, otherwise it won’t be “right”. This is a struggle for me. If I have a daughter to whom I say, ‘You are beautiful as you are’, while I have had a breast, I don’t think that’s right. I want to be authentic “.
However, Liona is wearing a bra with an external prosthesis and appears to have two breasts. “It was definitely strange at first and I keep struggling with it, because now I feel like I am contributing to the social ideal. I would prefer to wear special asymmetrical dresses and a bra made for one breast. In every clothing store or lingerie shop I am faced with the fact that this does not exist and therefore I do not meet the ideal picture. So if anyone has an address, haha!
Do you believe in God
Despite this struggle, Liona experiences tremendous calm throughout the process. “My husband and I focused on God and exposed everything before Him in prayer. I had full confidence and certainty that He was bringing me. Other people thought I was in a black hole and received a lot of sweet cards and support. Super sweet of course, but I wasn’t in a black hole at all. I accepted the situation as it was. With my focus on God, it was as if I was always floating above the situation with a supernatural calm ”.
“People regularly told me that the shot would come and I thought so too, for example when my husband and I saw the scar for the first time. But at that moment we both thought: oh okay, that’s it. We can live with it well. Now, fifteen months after the mastectomy, I still haven’t had that stroke, “says Liona.
I feel more feminine than ever
“I am aware that this is not the case for everyone and I don’t want people to think it is easy to accept. I want to encourage people with my story and show them that it doesn’t necessarily have to be a black hole. Of course it can be harsh and storms occur, even as a Christian. Fortunately, God is with you and if you are focused on this, I hope and pray that everyone can experience that same peace. Also, I feel blessed that I am now in good health and in a strong pregnancy, ”says beaming Liona. “I feel more feminine than ever.”
Pink Ribbon draws attention to all people with breast cancer. This month is Breast Cancer Month with the theme of self-love. To know more? Check out the Pink Ribbon website. (link: https://www.pinkribbon.nl/)
