Breast Cancer Stories of Survival
“You have breast cancer.” No one can quite imagine how those words feel until they are spoken; yet, breast cancer has become the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women. According to Kelly Lindsay of the American Cancer Society, “the bad news is that, this year alone, more than 1,630 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in our state and an estimated 440 Mississippians will lose their battle. But the great news is that we now have a 98 percent survival rate for those cancers detected in the earliest stages.
We must always keep in mind that “cancer” is a word, not a sentence! As breast surgeon and chair of the upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, Dr. Christina Dial laments, “I personally see over 1000 patients a year. I get very emotional each time I meet another woman who has sacrificed her own health because of family finances.” Truth is the greatest gift we can give our families is to take care of ourselves. It’s like they teach on an airplane, “In the event of an emergency, please secure your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” But the one essential truth is that knowing God is better than knowing all the answers!
Machell Agent |
“My children would come to me…and tell me that ‘God’s going to make you OK because we prayed for you.’”
Machell Agent was 42 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was married and the mother of two children, eight and 10 years old at the time. Machell’s family history didn’t put her at an increased risk for the disease, but during her annual checkup on March 12th, 2003, Machell’s mammogram indicated a small nodule, which the doctor thought was probably benign. And thus her journey began.
The breast surgeon found an invasive ductal carcinoma that was more than double the size of the initial suspicions. A grueling series of tests and treatments began immediately, starting with chemotherapy treatments prior to surgery. An aggressive regiment of surgeries and treatment ensued that would take a year to complete, including 33 radiation therapy treatments that were not part of the original treatment plan.
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Machell shares, “I know that for me, taking it one day at a time and keeping a positive attitude were key. I prayed fervently for God’s guidance for my amazing medical team, for peace and comfort for my family and friends, and for strength and healing for myself.” Because of her confidence in having her prayers answered, as well as the numerous prayers prayed on her behalf, “I always knew I was going to beat cancer.”
But having children of such impressionable ages proved to be both a great challenge and a tremendous blessing for Machell. She explains, “My son who was eight at the time of my diagnosis is autistic and didn’t really ‘get it.’ He was more preoccupied by what color hat I was going to wear each day. [Machell opted for hats over wigs.] But my daughter who was 10 needed more reassurance that I would be OK. And I don’t really think the gravity of my situation sank in until I lost my hair.” Machell believes strongly that children need to be included up to the level of their ability to understand. She confesses, “For a while, I think I went overboard in trying to keep my illness from my children because I was so afraid of the unknown. But I learned that the lack of knowledge was more frightening to them as they witnessed my trials. I encourage everyone to answer the questions of children honestly and appropriately, always keeping the perspective on the positive.”
Machell goes on to say, “My children would come to me, at those times when I was well enough for them to hug on me, and tell me that ‘God’s going to make you OK because we prayed for you.’” Machell and her husband tried to keep life as normal as possible with activities for the children. To do this, Machell realized she had to humble herself and accept the many offers of kindness she received. “I finally had to breakdown and allow family and friends to do our laundry and clean our house—things I took great pride in doing for my family before my diagnosis,” she confides. “But it was knowing that my family depended on me and needed me, that made me get out of bed each morning and renew my strength,” Machell continues.
Unlike many patients, Machell chose to return to work just a couple of weeks after her initial surgery. Her kids were in school all day and for her, work was therapy. Machell, who had been office manager for a plastic surgery practice for many years prior to her diagnosis confesses, “I had assisted cancer patients for years in navigating the insurance and financial considerations of this disease and I thought I knew a lot about what they were going through. Then I found out that I didn’t know nearly what I thought I did. And I’m honored now to be able to give a new patient reassurance that it is ultimately all going to be fine.”
Through this experience, Machell has completely changed her priorities from the realization that life on this earth may be short. “Every day should be lived to the fullest!” Praise the Lord, Machell has just celebrated five years cancer free!
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“Our faith and love for Jesus Christ are stronger because of the cancer journey.”
Being 7 1/2 months pregnant with her second child and delighting in the antics of her almost two-year-old daughter, cancer was the furthest thing from the mind of then 31-year-old Joy Davis. The car was packed and ready for the beach when her husband insisted she see a surgeon friend for a second opinion on what had previously been diagnosed as a fibrocystic breast, which is common during pregnancy. Within 20 minutes, the doctor came back with “malignant” on his lips, and the words “Stage 3 breast cancer” clouded her mind.
The Davis family didn’t make it to the beach that Valentine’s weekend of 2002, but instead prepared themselves for Joy’s surgery on Monday, and “the worst.” What happened next is what Joy classifies as her, “four miracles.” Joy shares, “Miracle 1: The baby made it through surgery with a steady, healthy heartbeat. Miracle 2: After removing 13 lymph nodes, lab results showed the cancer had not spread and I was lowered to Stage 2. Miracle 3: My nurse was a breast cancer survivor and brought great comfort and reassurance. Miracle 4: On April 9, 2002, we had a healthy baby boy!” Joy began chemotherapy treatment later that April and finished in October 2002. |
Joy Davis
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Joy has immense gratitude to so many people who embraced her and her family during these trials. She shares a special event when, “the Sunday before the surgery, my pastor and Sunday school teacher, Willie Varnado, asked us to come to the church for a time of prayer with our class. When we opened the doors of the sanctuary we were awed to see 200 people waiting to read comforting scripture and pray with us. We were served communion and I was anointed with oil. Our family and friends gathered around Roger and me and prayed the most beautiful prayers I had ever heard. I know God moved that night and it was then that I was healed! Though many things in the days to come amazed my doctors, I was not amazed. Whatever the outcome, I had been given the peace that passes all understanding that night in that sanctuary.”
Joy’s husband Roger kept a list of the scriptures people sent to them for encouragement and they have since sent it on to many people who are in need of the comfort only His Word can bring. Their friends blessed them with home cooked meals and the childcare coverage for Joy to know that her children were well cared for so that she could focus on her recovery.
Joy shares that today, their lives are given to planting a church. “Our faith and love for Jesus Christ are stronger because of the cancer journey. We tend to say yes to things we know are bigger than we are just to see Him get the glory. The courage to do that comes from that season of growth. One of the greatest blessings has been the circle of God-fearing friends cancer created.”
On the fourth anniversary of her diagnosis, Joy says she was struggling. But then she heard singing. She opened the front door to find eight of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen, singing To God Be The Glory as a reminder. They each handed her a rose, kissed her cheek and quickly drove off. Joy concludes, “My family and I are beneficiaries of Christ’ hands and feet on earth—the Church. I know how well it works when it is working well. It’s the hope of the world!”
Ellen Taylor McCune |
“I let God pack my bags for this part of my journey, so I was confident nothing would be forgotten.”
Ellen Taylor McCune describes her breast cancer as a “miserable layover as I continue the journey, not my destination. Every layover is not just about a challenge, but it is building us up for the next season—we can’t have one without the other.” Ellen knows with certainty that her diagnosis, treatment and healing are divine intervention. “Luck had nothing to do with it and M.D. does not stand for ‘Most Divine,’” Ellen asserts. “Recognizing the sufferings of Jesus, as Philippians 3:10 confirms, I could not be afraid, and in that spirit, all else became small.”
Before detecting the cancer herself while gardening in May 2007, Ellen, who was 52 at the time, says that her life was the life of the world. But now she enjoys a “new life that is a second chance to serve God and the people He has surrounded me with to teach and show that this life is His.” She purposely chose doctors who knew their own limitations and accepted that her fate was truly in God’s hands. To Ellen, these people were among a large corps of angels who constantly kept watch over her. |
Ellen was aware of the potential breast cancer risk in her family. At two years old she lost her mother to breast cancer and five years before Ellen’s diagnosis her niece was diagnosed. Upon hearing her own diagnosis confirmed, Ellen beamed, “I let God pack my bags for this part of my journey, so I was confident nothing would be forgotten.”
The Book of Job gave Ellen tremendous comfort and food for thought during her treatment. However, she was troubled one day when her daughter shared that someone had told her cancer was of the devil. That moment made Ellen realize how much work God had in store for her in breaking down such myths within the African American community, among whom there is a huge disparity in diagnosis, treatment and survival rates. Ellen’s new approach to each day is, “Tell me what You want me to do and give me the courage and resources to do it.” And He does! Waiting a year before undergoing reconstruction, Ellen was able to look at her scars and see them as symbolic of her renewed life.
As a nurse and the wife of a surgeon, Ellen had to really take herself out of the equation and entrust her care to God and the physicians He had chosen for her. And through it all she vowed not to lose her sense of humor. Ellen smilingly recalls the time she first discovered the long clump of hair in the hallway that she began to stomp, thinking it was a large bug!
Ellen works with children who are at risk for diseases such as hypertension and diabetes by focusing on empowering children with lifelong healthy eating and exercise habits. She explains, “I try to teach the children to see their bodies as God’s temple and to treat it as such. I tell them to ask themselves, ‘If you were having lunch with Jesus, would you offer Him this?’” Ellen knows that she did not prevent cancer because of her own healthy habits, but she is confident that she has been able to prolong her life because of them. Ellen eats a predominantly vegetarian diet and regularly attends reformer Pilates classes which help naturally distribute the fluids around her body that the loss of lymph nodes makes difficult.
Now, Ellen is on a mission of reaching out to the African American community. Health costs and economic disparity create challenges as far as access to care, but also access to information. Ellen has the information she gathered for herself and her own care collected on disc to share with others she comes in contact with. To Ellen, information and explanations that are understandable to the layperson are key and she recommends that every patient have an advocate on their behalf who can undergo training on how to care for the patient and what to expect.
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“I came to accept that, though I was losing something of the flesh, my heart and soul would remain completely intact.”
Professional Ballerina Cherri Barnett was given the news that she had breast cancer after a routine mammogram in 2003. She was 43 at the time and recently celebrated her five-year survivor anniversary. Cherri says she learned early on from Alan Woodard, a delightful Englishman who was Artistic Director of Ballet Mississippi, “Carry on REGARDLESS!” This example of grace and dignity has stuck with her and served her well through many trials.
Through her entire journey with cancer Cherri was embraced by the love of others. In the elevator a complete stranger provided her comfort immediately upon hearing her diagnosis, and a collection of friends lifted her up in prayer and encouraged her throughout her year of surgeries. During this trial Cherri’s constant reflection was on the genuine goodness of humanity. She was more determined than ever to “focus on only those things that matter, which for me is people.” |
Cherri Bennett
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Everyone who knows Cherri is keenly aware of her distinctive spirituality, something she brings into her every endeavor. Between her diagnosis and her surgery, a ceremonial Eucharist by special friends blessed Cherri. “These sisters in Christ propped me up on pillows in my bed and surrounded me with lighted candles and beautiful photographs. They laid hands upon me in prayer and swaddled me in a beautiful shawl to the fringe of which we knotted beads. This gave me tremendous comfort throughout my journey and through this healing act of love, I came to accept that, though I was losing something of the flesh, my heart and soul would remain completely intact,” Cherri remembers.
One of the most precious parts of Cherri’s Eucharist of healing from friends is a book that was compiled of thoughts and sentiments to give healing strength. On the first page is written: “Jehovah—Rapha, The God Who Heals.” She read this over and over at any moment of doubt and weakness.
Three weeks after surgery, Cherri returned to her students and to the art and beauty of ballet with a new presence and grace. “As a performer, she displayed magnificent and accomplished ballet technique. However, the beauty of a dancer moving from the soul particularly captured my attention. She was absolutely transformed,” says Jean Jones Downey, then headmaster at St. Andrew’s Lower School, where Cherri taught dance.
Cherri shares the comfort she found in an altar she created for herself just outside her bedroom. She collected crosses, relics and icon candles, which reminded her that she was not alone and to keep her eyes focused on her Lord for healing and nurturing. To anyone faced with the daunting challenges of cancer, Cherri shares that one “must believe, rely on faith, be strong and make informed decisions.” And above all, “value all of your time.” Cherri sums up with tears in her eyes, that because of God’s providence, her greatest joy and blessing is the opportunity to watch her daughter mature into an amazing young woman.
