HER POSITIVE OUTLOOK HELPED HER THROUGH CANCER TREATMENT.
NOW, SHE’S FOCUSED ON HELPING OTHERS STAY HEALTHY.

BECKY GONZALEZ KNEW something was wrong when, in 2019, while doing a self-exam, she discovered a lump in her breast. The 49-year-old mother of two from Westfield had a mammogram but, despite what she felt, the mammogram did not detect anything amiss.

However, around August 2021, she felt the lump again, and this time it was bigger. Becky saw her primary care provider for a physical and told him that the lump had grown. “My doctor scheduled me for a mammogram and a breast ultrasound,” says Gonzalez. “Once again, the mammogram did not find the lump—but the ultrasound did.”

THE ‘SHOCKING’ DIAGNOSIS

In September 2021, Becky had a breast biopsy followed in October by a lumpectomy performed by Holyoke
Medical Center (HMC) surgeon Francis Martinez, MD. Becky was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.

At first, Becky’s diagnosis came as a shock, especially since two mammograms showed no signs of a
malignancy. Becky was found to have dense breast tissue and, according to the American Cancer Society, dense tissue makes it harder to find breast cancer on a mammogram. Fortunately, her doctor ordered additional imaging and the ultrasound detected the cancer. “Once the diagnosis sank in, I was fine with it, only because I had become a certified health coach two years before, so I knew what I needed
to do for myself while going through treatment.”

BECKY’S TREATMENT REGIMEN

After her surgery, Becky was referred to Zubeena Mateen, MD, Medical Director of Hematology and Oncology
at HMC, for further treatment. “After her surgery, Becky was given chemotherapy to prevent the tumor from coming back, to ensure that any microscopic disease in her body or potential cells left behind at the time of surgery were eliminated, and to help improve survival,” says Dr. Mateen.

According to Dr. Mateen, Becky started chemotherapy in December 2021 and finished about a year and
a half later. “The courses of chemo varied depending on the treatment,” she says. “Different types of
treatments and chemotherapy drugs were administered over different time periods.”

After completing chemotherapy, Becky was given whole-breast radiation every day for six weeks, with weekends off. “Toward the end of radiation, she was given a ‘boost,’ exactly where the tumor cavity is,” says Dr. Mateen. “It’s like an insurance policy.”

THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVITY

Dr. Mateen believes that Becky’s positive attitude helped her through her treatment. “She was a trooper, and she was very positive, often making jokes,” says Dr. Mateen. “Patients’ immune systems work better if they’re positive.”

According to Becky, she’s always been a positive person. “I’m always looking for the good in everything,”
she says. “So, when I got this diagnosis, I knew the only way I would get through it was to stay positive.”

MAKING HEALTH HER BUSINESS

In 2019, the same year Becky first discovered a lump in her breast, she became a certified health coach. “I wanted to better my life and my family’s lives and help others live a healthier life,” she says. “I got into Superfoods (nutritionally dense foods packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants), which are a great way to boost your immune system.”

Becky developed a “Superfood Booster Mix” of 11 ingredients that can be added to coffee, baked goods,
smoothies and more. In 2020, her company, En3rgy Up, was born. Becky then became interested in juicing, which she considers her passion. “I would take my carrot juice and ginger shots with me during infusions. I knew I had to put it out there to help other people,” she says. Becky now has a store and is hoping to incorporate her certified health coach services into the company.

CONTINUING HER HEALING JOURNEY

Becky continues to see Dr. Mateen and follow a course of treatment. “In the beginning, I saw her every month,” says Dr. Mateen. “Now she sees me every six months. She is on maintenance treatment. She will continue to get annual mammograms and be examined by Dr. Martinez every six months and, after five years, she can come in once a year. Because breast cancer can come back later down the line, we will continue
to do labs and a tumor marker to make sure the tumor isn’t growing back.”

‘LIKE FAMILY’

“We’re not a big hospital,” says Dr. Mateen. “We provide personalized care, and it’s more like a family. The patients get attached to the nurses, who take good care of them.” Becky is grateful to her doctors, nurses, and the HMC team. “Dr. Mateen was great,” she says. “She explained how everything was going to go and answered all my questions. Her staff is wonderful, too. I got to know them on a level where I can say that we are like family.”