Local breast cancer survivor shares her story and message for women

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in honor of it, one Lowcountry survivor is encouraging women to keep up with breast cancer screenings and screenings.

October is a day to recognize women who have fought, are fighting, or have lost their battles with the cancer that affects so many women around the world.

The latest breast cancer statistics are American Cancer Society It shows that one in eight women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during her lifetime.

The American Cancer Society reports that 1 in 43 people will die from the disease. Therefore, it is very important to detect the disease early and treat it early to increase survival rates.

MaeElla Graves is a recent breast cancer survivor.

The 66-year-old was diagnosed with stage 1 triple negative breast cancer almost a year ago, on October 26, 2023. Graves was diagnosed during a routine annual mammogram. She had no symptoms, no sensation of a lump, and no family history. This totally unexpected diagnosis completely changed her life.

“It was tough. It forced me to pick myself up and say, 'I have to fight.' And I really had to fight because I wanted to get on the couch and just lay there,” Graves said.

She wanted to give up, but she is so grateful that she didn't. After four rounds of chemotherapy, 16 rounds of radiation therapy, four booster treatments and one surgery, Graves is cancer-free and in remission as of June and working to get back to normal. .

“When you get this diagnosis, the first thing you think is, 'I'm not going to live anymore.' This is the end,' but that's not true. That's not true,” she said. .

What got her through it all was her support system. She said her husband, her know-how, and the support she received at Trident Medical Center through groups and medical teams helped her get through the situation.

“I was just there, trying to support her and ease her pain as much as I could. I probably cried more than she did, because I didn't know what I would do without her,” Meera said.・Graves' husband, Roger David Graves, said:

Graves said her husband cared for her every need, went to her appointments, cooked for her and showed her all the love and support she needed to fight.

Now, Graves is looking forward to a support group coming through Trident Medical Center.

Trident Medical Center is the only hospital in the Lowcountry with in-person breast cancer support groups.

These support groups include patients currently undergoing treatment to 20-year survivors. This event gives women an opportunity to understand, connect and empathize with what each other is going through. Trident Medical launched these support groups a little more than two years ago to see what kind of impact they could have on the women who participate.

“What I've learned, I think my patients have also learned: They're invincible. They can go through anything,” said Ellie, a physician assistant at Trident Cancer Center.・Rogers said.

Rogers runs a patient support group. Part of her role is to help patients understand the process of what radiation oncology is, how radiation oncology works, and what radiation oncology means for patients. is. She also sees them during treatment to manage side effects and after treatment to make sure they are recovering well and doing everything they are supposed to be doing.

“What I tell my patients is that when you get cancer, your job is to get through your treatment, and it's your full-time job. You have to go to appointments, you have to take all your medications. You have to manage all these things. Your world has been turned upside down and now you have to do all these things. It feels like it's my last day. And I'm like, “Okay, I got a new job.” Now, your new task is to become a survivor. Part of my job is to help you get on that path,” Rogers said.

Rogers believes support groups are a good fit for this part of the treatment process because they allow patients to connect with others who understand their suffering.

“That's someone who's been in your shoes. Your family loves you and supports you, but they've never been in your shoes. So it's good that we can have what is called a free conversation. It's a good thing that we can have what we call a free conversation. Let's talk about things that you probably would never talk about on the field,'' Rodgers said. “They learn from each other and really love each other like they really love each other. I love them too.”

With this group, breast cancer survivors, like Graves, can get the support they need to keep going.

Graves said she was touched by the connections she made with other survivors. She said she hopes that by sharing her personal story, she can encourage women to always get their annual mammograms, scans and self-breast exams in order. She hopes that by sharing her story, she can help other women catch the disease early and save them.

Graves said the importance of these scans cannot be overstated because without annual mammograms, she would never have known she had breast cancer. Because of this, she was able to catch it early, receive treatment, and now lives a happy and healthy life.

“It would be great if we could get one of them to get a mammogram this October,” she said.

Trident Breast Center is extending mammography hours every Wednesday in October to give people more opportunities to get their mammograms tested.

The event, known as “Mammograms and Mocktails,” will be held every Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Trident Breast Center in North Charleston. We will also be hosting a “Mammograms and Mocktails” event at Moncks Corner Medical Center on October 23rd from 4pm to 6pm, as well as a “Jammies and Mummy” event at Somerville Breast Center from 9am to noon on October 19th. will be held.

To register for these events and schedule your mammogram, please call 877-357-0156.

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