Breast cancer survivor discusses her recovery almost 5 years later

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and WTOC likes to take a moment to feature and celebrate just some of the amazing survivors out there.

It has been almost five years since Chante Fraizer last rang that victory bell, signifying her last day of treatment, but she says the person she is today is far beyond that 40-year-old who was in denial after first hearing the words “you have cancer.”

Chante Fraiser has spent most of her career surrounded by cancer, working 19 years as a Medical Physicist in Radiation Oncology.

“It’s just something I never expect…”

But in 2018, she went from practitioner to patient.

“The good part, the saving grace, was that I was able to be treated at the same place I had work so I was very familiar with my medical team,” said Fraizer.

We first told her story less than a year after beating cancer in January of 2019. At that time her fight against cancer may have been over, but her journey was just beginning.

Now, nearly five years later, she says this year is the first year where she truly feels better than before.

“I’m very energetic physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, I’m doing much much better. This is probably the first year that I have been able to kind of been able to kinda take some deep breaths and relax,” said Fraizer.

And she isn’t alone…

Corie Turley works as a Physical Therapist for Memorial Hospital’s Anderson Cancer Center and says that beating cancer is only half the battle, the months and even years that come next can be just as hard.

“After cancer treatment, you’re not going to bounce back as quickly, and you need to give yourself a break basically. If you need to take a nap after radiation because the fatigue set in, that’s not a bad thing. It’s not going to last forever. You are going to get stronger, it takes time and you need to allow yourself that peace to recover,” said Turley.

After years of watching her patients, Fraizer knew that her attitude was what would help her through.

“I have seen the ones who have thrived the most and those were the ones who had the best attitudes. They had the best support systems and they just had that motivation to keep moving and keep pushing forward.”

Motivation she now holds as a metal of remembrance of how far she has come.

Fraizer says her best advice who may be in the thick of this journey or even those just starting out is to not try to do this alone but to rely on your support system and keep your spirits high.

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