Wellness

"I pulled up my 'Pink' big girl panties and began to do what I needed to do to fight this." Name: Tamela R. CookeAge: 52Job: Human Resources, Employee Relations Specialist at Correct Care SolutionsDiagnosis: Invasive ductile carcinoma. Stage 1 found January 4, 2016Treatment: Lumpectomy and radiation treatmentAdvice: Don’t let it define who you are! Of course, you have to make lifestyle changes. Live, laugh and love yourself and the people around you!Best Thing Someone Did For Her During Her Battle: My daughter wrote me the most endearing note. She is my only child. We both got through [...]

"I made beating cancer my job, I finished that job. Now it's time for me to live."Name: Lillie PettitAge: 61Job: Automotive Manufacturing/Shipping Mitsuba of BardstownDiagnosis: Triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma with lymph node involvement found at annual mammogram, August 6, 2015Treatments: 23 weeks of taxol chemotherapy: once a week for 12 weeks and then every other week for 11 weeks. Followed by a lumpectomy with lymph node removal and 6 weeks of daily radiation.Advice Lillie Would Give To People With Loved Ones Battling Breast Cancer: Someone dealing with this diagnosis has so many things going through their [...]

"The light switch to everything I fear switched off when enduring this." Name: Debra AdamsAge: 46Job: Instructor for Red CrossDiagnosis: DCIS carcinoma in-situ. I had gone to a general physician, they took blood happened to do a breast exam, looking at the two lumps I had since I was 12. The results of a biopsy came back positive, February 2016Advice Debra Would Give To People With Loved Ones Battling Breast Cancer: Talk to them and be honest. Don’t run away or be afraid to ask questions. It’s better to go through horrible things with friends [...]

"I told myself to not look at the 'why?' and the 'what if?'."Name: Robin KennedyAge: 54Job: Administrative Coordinator, Metro GovernmentDiagnosis: Breast cancer stage 1, May 2012How She Found Out: Detected in routine mammogramTreatments: Two lumpectomies in may of 2012 and again in June 2012, a double mastectomy in July. TRAM flap bilateral reconstruct in August .Support Groups: Gilda's Club Louisville, Norton’s Pink Pilates exercise class, Kentucky African Americans Against Cancer through James Brown. Friends for Hope.Best Thing She Did For Herself: Made myself volunteer with support groups and I surrounded myself with those who had walked in my shoes where [...]

"Cancer makes you feel like your entire life has been out of control." Name: Michelle AndersonAge: 42Job: Registered Nurse at The Brook Hospital - DupontDiagnosis: Stage 2 breast cancer due to four lymph nodes removedHow She Found Out: First mammogram, February 22, 2017Treatments: Chemo since May 1, 2017How She Deals With Negative Thoughts: I have a coloring book with swear words in it that calms me down.How She Copes With Stress/Fear: Stress and fear come together: Fear of what I would look like after the surgery. Fear of my identity based on the standards placed on women in [...]

"People gripe about their birthdays, but each one is a gift from God, and I am so happy to be here to celebrate another year." Name: Deena KleehamerAge: 68Job: Takes care of granddaughters and granddogsDiagnosis: Stage 1 mastectomy at age 38. “Got a trick instead of a treat on Halloween” October 31, 1987.Advice To Newly Diagnosed Women: You have the love of your family and friends but you don’t have to face breast cancer alone. There are so many support groups out there.Support Group: Deena started a breast cancer support group in 1991 at Floyd Memorial Hospital and [...]