Bobbie

Bobbie went in for regular mammograms, which were all normal until 2016 when she was called back for more testing and was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer. Bobbie had a lumpectomy and underwent genetic testing, due to her family history of cancer, which came back positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation; read more about her experiences with hereditary cancer risk here. Though this news was hard for Bobbie, she prayed “to the Lord,” decided not to “let this get me down” and tackled treatment head on. She considered having a mastectomy, because in the “choice of living or dying” she would “bite the bullet… choose to live” and have her entire breast removed. However, after testing, her provider advised not to “do that right now” and moved forward with a lumpectomy. Bobbie did get a “bad infection” but otherwise recovered “well” from her treatment.

After surgery, Bobbie was prescribed hormone medication, which she still takes. The first hormone therapy she tried was “taking” her memory; she would be talking, and “mid-sentence” would “forget” what she was talking about. Bobbie “knew it was the medicine” because “normally I keep running my mouth” and forgetting was “a change” for her. Bobbie switched medicine recently and likes it “much better” which is great because she “has to take it for five years.” Bobbie wasn’t “normally tired” before but deals with residual exhaustion from her cancer, helped with a vitamin c supplement. In addition to cancer, Bobbie manages back issues, high blood pressure, and has been working hard since before cancer to lose weight. Bobbie was already exercising, but her diagnosis helped her realize she “needed to exercise more” and “change” her “eating habits.” Bobbie enjoys water exercise classes and hopes to return to jogging, which she enjoyed before her surgery.

Bobbie found support all around her during her cancer diagnosis and treatment; God, her siblings, and her pastor are her “support system.” One of her friends and sisters attended appointments with her and “having someone there” who was “supporting” her made a “difference.” Bobbie also found a great deal of support in her faith community. Her pastor talked and prayed with her, reminding her she was “going to be OK.” Bobbie also felt God throughout, believing that “God got me, and I know He’s got me” and that “He’ll take me through whatever.” Bobbie tries not to worry about recurrences and keeps calm by remember that “God can do anything,” so she focuses on staying “prayed up with the Lord.”

Bobbie has considered joining a ministry at her church specifically focused on cancer survivors but wants to prioritize her health “first before doing that.” She continues to sing in the church choir. Bobbie is single and does not have any children of her own but has a large family and they talk openly about everything, including cancer. For screening, Bobbie still does the “every six months thing” including MRIs and mammograms, which is important to her because she attributes “catching the cancer early” to her regular screening. Bobbie’s experience with health care professionals was mostly positive, however being treated with kindness made a big difference when going through cancer treatment. She noticed that “some people just have manners and common sense. Some people don't” and finding someone who “treats you gentle, and nice, and kind, it makes a difference.” Bobbie wants others to know that “knowing about your health is important” and that you have to continues to “take it as it comes.”