She was more concerned how the news would affect her three children-Stephanie, Dale, and Scott. I was still deep in the throes of grief when I was diagnosed with cancer.” “Richard’s death was so sudden and horrible that I was in shock for two months.

“It was staggering when I got my diagnosis, and I began wondering what else is going to happen to me,” she says. Six months prior to being diagnosed with breast cancer, she tragically lost her husband, Richard, in an automobile accident. Mammograms are painless, only slightly uncomfortable, and they can definitely save your life.”įor Leigh, the worst part of battling cancer was the horrible timing. I credit that to faithfully having mammograms every year since I turned 35.

“I did not experience a lot of suffering,Īnd I didn’t even take all of my pain pills. “I really think my recovery was easy,” she says. Surgery left her with a tiny scar on the underside of her arm. She never underwent chemotherapy, saving her from the embarrassment of losing hair, and only endured one week of radiation. To this day, Leigh credits mammography not only for early detection but also from enduring a long, painful recovery. “He told me, ‘You’re one lucky lady.’ He said that because my cancer was so small, they were able to remove most of it during the needle biopsy.” Leigh will never forget the encouraging words she received from her surgeon prior to undergoing a lumpectomy, a procedure to remove cancer and abnormal tissue from her left breast. After undergoing a needle biopsy, Leigh learned that she had Stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma. During a mammography screening in March 2018, doctors noticed a small, abnormal spot and scheduled her to have a follow-up mammogram six months later. Leigh, a 69-year-old resident of Leesburg, speaks from experience. Leigh Neely has an important message for all women.ĭon’t forget to schedule an annual mammogram. Learn how these brave women discovered the ‘can’ in cancer and marvel at their candid accounts of perseverance and strength during a time of great adversity. Although they face similar challenges, not two cancer journeys are the same. Style is sharing the stories of five breast cancer patients. It’s important to put a face and a name to a disease that will transform the lives of 281,550 women who are newly diagnosed this year, according to the American Cancer Society. Sometimes, the human element becomes lost. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’ll undoubtedly be bombarded with statistics, studies, and stories about the latest treatment methods. Five breast cancer patients with one thing in common: a fighting spirit.

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