Breast Cancer 'Warrior' Takes Victory Tour After Treatment
By Kathy Walsh
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- A woman from Durango recently returned from what she calls her "World Victory Tour." It was her way of celebrating completing treatment for breast cancer at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.
Louisa Drouet didn't just travel, she struck a yoga pose in all of the places she visited.
To Louisa, yoga is freedom, strength and tranquility. It's part of her celebration of life after months of fighting breast cancer.
"I had a golf ball-sized tumor in my left breast," she told CBS4 Health Specialist Kathy Walsh.
She discovered the tumor on November 30, 2017. Louisa was 46 years old.
"I have never been so incredibly terrified in my life," she said.
The cancer was aggressive and had spread to her lymph nodes.
"My nature is to fight and be optimistic, so that's what I've gone with," Louisa said.
Louisa put her trust in the doctors at UCHealth. She had a lumpectomy. She had 20 radiation treatments, eight sessions of chemotherapy. Louisa wore what's called a cold cap to keep from losing all of her hair.
"I felt really ugly, but really happy to be done," she said.
With treatment over, Louisa took off for what she called her "World Victory Tour."
She would strike favorite yoga poses in faraway places like Shanghai and Seoul, the Taj Mahal, a warrior pose in Japan.
"Definitely me trying to show power and strength," she explained.
It is strength she will need. On the day we met her, Louisa learned that recent test results may be troubling.
"It's very scary. You think you get to the other side and then there's another step and it's frustrating," she said wiping away tears.
She is deflated, but not defeated. After all, Louisa is a warrior.
"This is life, you know, you get up and you walk forward," she said.
If you think you've seen Louisa before, you may have. Her picture is on billboards, buses, buildings and even in a TV commercial featuring four UCHealth patients who overcame their conditions by always pushing and always fighting.
Kathy Walsh is CBS4's Weekend Anchor and Health Specialist. She has been with CBS4 since 1984. She is always open to story ideas. Follow Kathy on Twitter @WalshCBS4.
