HSI Special Agent shares personal breast cancer survival story
Linda Phillips will never forget July 14, 2014.
It was a Monday morning and she was on her way to work at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas field office. She received a phone call from her doctor informing her that she’d been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type of breast cancer that makes up nearly 80 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses, according to breastcancer.org.
“I was just stunned,” said Phillips, Special Agent, HSI Dallas. “I was hoping that maybe a technician had read it wrong. I felt like I was driving through a long tunnel and everything seemed to be in slow motion. I was just in disbelief.”
As Phillips began to process the news, her mind immediately went to her mother who died of breast cancer when Phillips was around age 12. For more than 30 years, Phillips knew that due to her family history, one day she’d be at risk for the disease as well. As a result, she was proactive in taking care of her own health by eating clean and exercising, and as she got older by scheduling routine mammograms. It was during one of those checkups that the cancer was discovered.
However, even with all the precautions taken, nothing could have prepared her for the reality she would be faced with after she hung up the phone.
“I thought about how my mom lost her battle at age 48 and now here I am at age 42 facing the same fight,” Phillips recalled. “And for a minute, the fear begins to creep in and you think to yourself, ‘Is that going to be my fate?’”
Going Through The Battle
Having grown up in church in a small town in Zwolle, Louisiana, Phillips leaned on her faith as she prepared to face a battle for her life. She knew she had to change her mindset. Staying positive would be half the battle so Phillips set out to be the best patient and do everything she needed to do to be healthy and overcome this illness.
Phillips knew faith and a positive attitude would be her cornerstone. The type of breast cancer Phillips had was categorized as triple negative, which means the cancer cells tested negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and HER2 which required her to have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation. In total, Phillips went through 12 weeks of chemotherapy and eight weeks of radiation.
“When I was in chemotherapy, that was the toughest because it makes you so sick,” Phillips said. “You’re so weak and vomiting most of the time that getting down on all fours is the only way I could ride out the nausea. You can’t eat. You can’t sleep. Food has no taste other than that of metal. Nothing seems to comfort you.”
Aside from the physical challenges of fighting cancer, Phillips had to deal with the psychological battle as well. Having to look in the mirror and not recognize the person starring back was one of the hardest obstacles she had to overcome.
As a single mother of two sons, ages 16 and 9, Phillips knew they depended on her and she didn’t want them to see her suffering.
“I sat them down and explained to them ‘this is what mom has been diagnosed with. I’m going to lose my hair, there are days I am going to be tired, but I’m going to be fine, because I have the best doctors and medicine,’” Phillips said. “I kind of just gave them the big picture. They didn’t need details and they didn’t miss a beat. They were very compassionate, but I think they took what I told them to heart.”
Going through any illness, particularly cancer, can be a lonely experience. Fortunately for Phillips, she had a strong support group. From coworkers, to friends from college at Grambling State University, to family and a really great guy she’d met right before her diagnosis.
“I gave him an out,” Phillips recalled. “I told him I’d been diagnosed with cancer and there will be some physical changes. He stuck there with me through it all and was my caregiver and encourager.”
The two are planning to marry in April 2016.
“God just gave me what I needed and the people that I needed,” Phillips said. “Some of the people that were there for me were the people that I least expected. When I needed a word of encouragement, I would open my email and it would be there and it would be from the least likely person.”
Beating The Odds
From Day 1, Phillips has been claiming her victory over cancer. Her confidence came from her faith and the fact that the doctors let her know that her diagnosis wouldn’t take her life because there’s so much more medically available now to treat cancer.
Almost seven months from the day she received that initial phone call, Phillips’ last day of chemotherapy was Feb. 16. Her radiation treatment concluded on April 28.
She was declared cancer free.
“The feeling [of beating cancer] was liberating. I felt like I had another chance at life,” Phillips said. “It really makes you take inventory of your life and say ‘how can I live it the best possible way.’”
Phillips returned to work in January 2015 in order to “get back to normalcy.” Having been with ICE since the merger, Phillips now supervises the Counter Proliferations Investigations Group.
“Linda’s courage in the face of devastating medical challenges has been inspiring to me personally and to everyone she works with,” said Katrina W. Berger, special agent in charge of HSI Dallas. “Many people focus their energies on the smallest daily inconveniences. Linda’s consistently upbeat attitude throughout her physically shattering cancer treatments reminds us all how petty most of our complaints are, and about the truly important things in life.”
Many in her office were inspired by that positive attitude Phillips kept throughout her illness. She even took a preemptive strike on cancer by shaving her head. Battling cancer made Phillips really look at relationships and appreciate the people who are important to her, not only family, but friends and coworkers as well, many of whom have been impacted by cancer in their own way.
“Cancer has touched so many people’s lives. Whether it’s been personally, or a parent or a sibling or a friend,” Phillips said. “We are almost all unscathed in that aspect. People are compassionate towards you because they know of someone who’s been through it.”
In late August, Phillips had a diagnostic mammogram. Her tests and bloodwork came back clear. Thankful for her health and all the support she received, Phillips is ready to make the most of the new life she’s been given.
“I do believe God gives us many, many chances,” Phillips said. “That could’ve been the end for me, but it wasn’t and for that I am truly grateful.”
Phillips spends time supporting various cancer charities and being an advocate in the workplace through annual cancer awareness events for the HSI Dallas North Texas and Oklahoma Employees Association.
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