MEET ANN

Ann’s Story

Ann was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and has since then undergone six rounds of chemo, a double mastectomy, and five weeks of radiation.

Ann shared that she was scared when she was first diagnosed. “It was a mix of emotions for sure when you get that news. It is not easy to hear."

Ann expressed her gratitude for her extensive support team, especially her husband who took time off work to attend appointments and care for her after her surgery. “He was fantastic. He is my biggest support.” Ann also credits her fortitude to her strong faith, the prayers of her church family and the cancer center team. “The care team is encouraging, [saying], “You can do this, you can get through this, you only have a few more treatments, you’ve got this!” Just like a cheerleader,” Ann said.

Ann shared how cancer impacted her family, “We have two boys [and] they were concerned. It affects everybody, it’s a scary disease. No one wants to sit and watch their [family] get poked, prodded, tested, and go through the side effects of chemo and then the radiation. You just don’t want to see your loved one hurting.”

Ann shared her struggles during treatment, “I would say each phase had its own separate horrors. It’s all difficult. There is not one thing that is more difficult than the others. It all sucks. It’s not fun.” Through this campaign, we were able to highlight Ann’s strength by creating a shield of flowers across her chest showcasing the warrior that she has become.

Ann described her experience with the care team as authentic. “They are genuine in their caring. And it’s not like they just want to talk about your cancer, they also want to get to know you; the personal side. They ask about your family. They ask about what’s going on in your life, and to me that meant a lot. And I just think “I’m not the only patient there” they do that for everyone! And then to remember what’s going on in each one of these people’s lives. I was there every three weeks, but they still remembered. “How did this go?” or “how was that?” and to me that is amazing; to remember all these details about their patients, it means a lot.”