Breast Cancer Brings Nurse ‘Humbling’ Experience As A Patient

Nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare gives you a lot of stories to share.

Eileen Arnau never thought the story she would be sharing the most would be her own.

As a Rochester Regional Health employee since 2005, Eileen has worked to empower her patients and fellow nurses as much as possible. As a nurse for more than 20 years, she has served as a preceptor for nursing students, teaching them and helping them gain valuable experience at hospitals during nursing school.

Working with the Transfer Center, she helps patients as they move between hospitals and outpatient locations within the Rochester Regional Health system.

When Eileen’s husband became sick with a chronic illness, she took the time to focus on caring for him and her two children – ignoring her own health appointments.

“I put my health on the back burner,” Eileen said.

Starting to focus on her own health

Eileen’s husband passed away unexpectedly following a surgery in June 2021. As time went on, she decided she wanted to start to pay attention to her own health and scheduled some health appointments – including a mammogram in April 2025.

After the mammogram appointment, Eileen received a call to schedule a follow-up visit for more imaging – which is common. After an ultrasound and biopsies, she got a call from her provider telling her that she had been diagnosed HER2+ breast cancer.

“I was very shocked. It’s a very foreboding feeling,” Eileen said. “As soon as I saw the number, I had a sinking feeling.”

HER2 positive breast cancer is a type of breast cancer that tests positive for the protein human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The breast cancer grows at the direction of this protein and tends to be a more aggressive subtype of breast cancer.

The diagnosis caught Eileen off-guard, in part because she had undergone genetic testing, and determined breast cancer did not run in her family.

Forming a cancer care team – and a plan

Following her diagnosis, Eileen met with her primary care provider to determine which programs and providers might be the best fit for her cancer treatment.

Ultimately, she decided to meet with Vatsala Kirtani, MD, at Lipson Cancer Institute and Kelly Krupa, MD, at the Rochester Regional Health Breast Center.

Following her consultations with Dr. Krupa and Dr. Kirtani, Eileen's treatment plan was formulated. She proceeded with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, undergoing 18 weeks of treatment prior to surgery. During chemotherapy she met with Dr. Krupa to finalize her surgical plan. Dr. Krupa discussed the options between a lumpectomy that would remove the tumor from her breast or a double mastectomy which would remove both of her breasts entirely. Ultimately, she decided to proceed with bilateral skin-sparing mastectomies followed by reconstruction with breast reconstruction plastic surgeon Mandy Flor, MD.

“When you compared the two, I liked the numbers with the mastectomy that lowered my risk,” Eileen said.

Part of her decision was also rooted in her need to be there for her children. Her son is an adult and living on his own, but her daughter is still young.

“My daughter is 13. She wouldn’t have anybody without me.”

A whirlwind of cancer treatments

Eileen’s treatment plan moved quickly. In the month of May alone, she recalls having at least 20 appointments.

“It was like being on a rollercoaster,” Eileen said. “We kept going up and down. It was pretty intense.”

The treatments were hard on her body, affecting her energy level, appetite, nausea, and many other areas of her life.

But throughout Eileen’s treatment and care, something happened that she didn’t expect: her dedication to educating future nurses came full circle.

As Eileen went to her appointments and sought treatment in the emergency department, several of the nurses and medical staff turned out to be former nursing students who she had helped to teach.

“I can’t even put into words what it what like. I’m glad that I taught them well enough to keep me alive,” Eileen said.

The experience of being a patient instead of a caregiver was humbling for Eileen. It offered her a new perspective on how clinicians provide healthcare and how patients receive the care, as well as the challenges faced by everyone in that experience.

“I don’t know how people do this without having previous medical knowledge or experience that I had as a nurse,” Eileen said. “I have a new respect for patients.”

Eileen’s breast reconstruction surgery

As the date for Eileen’s mastectomy surgery grew closer, she met with Dr. Flor and planned her breast reconstruction over the course of two surgeries. Ultimately Eileen chose implant-based reconstruction.

“Dr. Flor is the best surgeon. She is absolutely phenomenal,” Eileen said.

Breast reconstruction surgery depends on each patient’s overall health, cancer type, and breast size. Some patients may also choose not to undergo reconstruction at all; it’s entirely up to each patient.

Eileen had her first reconstruction surgery in February and the second surgery in June. With the operations completed, Eileen is excited to move forward with her life.

“I’m looking forward to the next steps. It’s a lot of healing but I’m also being optimistic.”

Taking the steps toward her future

Today, Eileen is cancer free and focusing on enjoying her regained health.

“I can eat, my hair is growing back after I shaved it in October,” Eileen said. “I’m so glad I have my eyebrows!”

Each breast cancer patient’s journey is different for many reasons. For Eileen, she described it as being “pretty lonely.”

It was her cancer care team and co-workers who stepped up to meet her needs. Eileen’s manager and Rochester Regional Health team members at the Transfer Center made sure she had enough time off, was cared for, and could work remotely to rest and rebuild her strength.

“Cancer is a very lonely business,” Eileen said. “My cancer care team knew me and knew what I was like. They knew how miserable I was. No matter how I came in, they always kept me in good spirits.”

As a breast cancer survivor, Eileen knows she has a lot of healing to do – both physically and emotionally. She is taking her experience as a patient and plans to incorporate it into her nursing practice – reminding everyone that life is to be enjoyed and not endured.