Think Pink2 | The Daily News | Think Pink | October 2022 To learn more about UTMB Women’s Health, call (800) 917-8906 , visit our website at utmbhealth.com/womens or scan the QR code. knows Women’s Health The University of Texas Medical Branch is in-network for most major insurance plans. Care for every season of life. When you’re looking for a women’s health specialist who can care for your complex needs, UTMB Health has you covered. Whether you’re scheduling your first-ever gynecology appointment, seeking prenatal care for you and your baby, or looking for a provider to help you navigate the changes that come with age, UTMB Health has women’s health care experts ready to serve you. With clinics located throughout the Bay Area and Southeast Texas, our qualified providers are in communities near you, including: Comprehensive Women’s Health Services: SCAN TO LEARN MORE Women’s Health Care Close to Home • Galveston • Friendswood • Clear Lake • Lake Jackson • Angleton • Behavioral Health • Breast Health and Mammography • Gynecology • Hormone Therapy • Menopause • Obstetrics/ Pregnancy Care • Pelvic Health and Urogynecology In 2022, an estimated 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. SOURCE: BREASTCANCER.ORG GRAPHIC: LIZ DAVIS/THE DAILY NEWSOctober 2022 | Think Pink | The Daily News | 3 W hen Kimberly Bra- num was undergo- ing treatment for metastatic breast cancer, she had a dream. On a night where she was praying for encourage- ment, she dreamed she had a head full of beau- tiful, flowing, wavy hair. At the time, she didn’t have much hair at all thanks to chemotherapy. She took that dream as a sign of hope and good things to come. And her hair eventually did grow back. “I never had thick wavy hair,” she said. “I had that dream and literally that’s how my hair grew back. I dyed it yellow, so now it’s thick and wavy and looks like beach hair.” Hair regrowth might not seem like a big deal, but it marked a reclaim- ing of her body, a return to wholeness. “It’s not just about sur- viving. It’s about quality of life,” she said. “There’s quality of life after breast cancer, your relationships with your kids, with your spouse. “There was a question in my heart, will my mar- riage be the same after this,” she said. “Things are different, but there’s always hope and things can be good. That was a big deal as a woman for me.” Branum was diag- nosed in 2016 with metastatic breast cancer. She had put off getting the “marble in her right breast” checked because of insurance issues. “I didn’t have any thought of breast cancer, so I didn’t have any fear of it,” she said, adding she started to get nervous after her mam- mogram. “I didn’t think anything until six doctors walked in the room, and I start- ed shaking from head to toe, literally,” she said. Kimberly leaned on faith and friends to keep her spirit strong Story by Margaret Battistelli Gardner Photos courtesy of Kimberly Branum and UTMB Dr. Colleen Silva ‘Not once did I think I would die from this’ “Dr. [Colleen] Silva was amazing. She has the best bedside manner of anyone I’ve ever met.” KIMBERLY BRANUM “I knew something was wrong.” A biopsy followed, and the diagnosis was stage 3 invasive ductal carci- noma. “That was the day my life just changed,” Bra- num said — the day she became a “known breast cancer patient.” Branum’s cancer me- tastasized to her lymph nodes; she had a full mastectomy in 2017, followed by extensive reconstructive surgery. “Dr. [Colleen] Silva was amazing. She has the best bedside manner of anyone I’ve ever met,” Branum said. “And had it not been for my faith in Christ, my daughter and a group of women that just surrounded me with prayer, I would not have gotten through it. Not once did I think I would die from this.” Branum opted for implants after her mastectomy, but they felt unnatural. Dr. Silva suggested she see her UTMB Health colleague and plastic surgeon Dr. Julie Park “I had to think about it because that’s a big deal,” she said. The “that” was a DIEP flap procedure, where the breast is rebuilt with fat, skin and blood vessels from the wall of the lower belly. After much consideration and consultation with her family, Branum had the procedure done. “Dr. Park took my whole abdomen and used that to put up on my chest wall as a breast — the skin and everything, the fat, some muscle,” she said, “She dissected my abdominal muscles, took some veins out and constructed them to bring a blood supply flow up there. Then she stapled me up, sewed me up and I was home for a long recov- ery. It takes months to recover from that.” More surgeries fol- lowed. Most recently, Dr. Park used fat from Branum’s back to further contour her new breast. She’s thankful for how well the procedures have worked. “When I look at the breast on the right, all I can say is, ‘Thank you, Lord,’ because it looks so similar to the one on the left that I actually feel like I have two breasts again.” Branum’s next surgery, in December, will leave her with a tattooed nip- ple to give her breast a more realistic look. “There’s nothing easy about this,” Branum said. “Belief that it will turn out good is the main thing. You have to pull into your faith daily and expect good for yourself. “Set up a support sys- tem,” she said. “And give yourself grace. You’ll have some bad days, but you know the next day could be better. Always expect there is an end of the road and that you’ll get there.” 4 | The Daily News | Think Pink | October 2022 W hen she was 28, Tammi Moran found a lump in her breast, but she didn’t take it seriously. She had six children at home and figured she was too young to have cancer any- way. She forgot about it. “Young moms hit the snooze button on health,” she said. About nine months later, she noticed blood coming out of her nipples. That woke her up. She went to her primary care provider who referred her to Dr. Colleen Silva, professor and surgeon with UTMB’s Department of Surgery and med- ical director of UTMB’s Breast Health and Imaging Center in League City. Dr. Silva ordered a mammogram and ultrasound, but neither one showed anything unusual. “If those can’t answer the questions, a bleeding nipple still needs inves- tigation,” Dr. Silva said. She did an incisional biopsy, removing milk ducts from both of Moran’s breasts. Also, UTMB physician Dr. Gwyn Richardson did an MRI. “I’m extremely claustrophobic, and Dr. Richardson was so patient with me,” Moran said. It turned out Moran did have cancer in one breast and a possible pre-cancer condition in the other. She was 29. Curious, Moran reached out to a fam- ily member to ask out about any family history of breast cancer. “No one in my family talks about health,” she said. “There’s a silence.” The family history she uncovered shocked her. “I found out there’s so much cancer in my family.” Not only was there a history of cancer in the family, but Moran also learned that many women in her family had died young because of it. Processing all this new information intimidated Moran. She would need a double mastectomy, but this wasn’t just about her breasts. Her team of doctors also wanted to remove both her ova- ries as soon as possible. Moran wasn’t ready for that yet. She researched the possibility of hav- ing her Fallopian tubes removed to de- lay removing her ovaries and asked her doctors about it. Dr. Richardson agreed to remove Moran’s Fallopian tubes at the same time she performed Moran’s hysterectomy and cervix removal. Given Moran’s condition, another UTMB Health women’s health provider Dr. Kathleen Vincent was recruited to join the care team and monitor her health. “Dr. Vincent performed ovarian can- cer screening on me every few months for three-and-a-half years while I de- bated keeping my ovaries,” Moran said. “She always gave me so much of her time, and as a researcher, she helped answer my questions about recent studies I had found. She was amazing.” The experience was still jarring. “It was scary,” Moran said. “But the doctors at UTMB were so calm. And they all talked to each other. Even the UTMB occupational therapist who treated my lymphedema communicated regularly with the rest of my care team, especially Dr. Silva.” After her double mastectomy, Mo- ran decided not to have reconstructive plastic surgery. It was an unusual decision other people didn’t expect. But it was Moran’s choice, and she had the support of her husband and her doctors. She also learned her family carried a BRCA gene variant. “This was a ‘variant of unknown significance’ on the BRCA gene, but the genetic counselor advised me to consider it a mutation linked to cancer and act accordingly,” Moran said. “At least two other women in my family who had cancer in their 30s had the same result.” Moran asked a lot of questions. She took copies of articles and other information about cancer risks to her doctors, and they didn’t mind. Then, Moran got the news at a fol- low-up appointment that she could no longer wait to have her ovaries re- moved. She still wasn’t ready for that. “I was so worried to do this,” she said. “I was agonizing over this.” She worried about what hormone replacement might do to her body or if she would develop cardiac problems or osteoporosis. Articles she read made her worry even more. While seeing a gynecologist for a check-up at UTMB, Moran struggled with these concerns. During her ap- pointment, the doctor looked at a smil- ing Moran and commented how she always came into her office smiling, making jokes and acting happy. “I’m wondering if deep down you are really scared,” she asked Moran. The smile melted away. Moran broke down crying. “I’m way too young for this,” she said. The doctor suggested she see a psy- chologist to talk about these fears. Hes- itant, Moran made the first appointment. The psychologist worked with her for months on her feelings and thoughts, and he guided her to consider her best options. This helped Moran, who decided in 2018 to have both ovaries removed when she was 34. Her doctors found a low-dose estrogen replacement she could take, which has made the surgical menopause manageable. Moran still struggles with lymphedema, but she might have a procedure to treat it. She no longer hits the snooze button. “I’m making sure my daughters’ primary care providers are aware they have this family history because of my diagnosis,” she said. ‘I’m too young to have cancer’ At 29, woman discovers family history of cancer after diagnosis Story by UTMB Staff Writer Photo courtesy of Tammi MoranOctober 2022 | Think Pink | The Daily News | 5 She thought she didn’t need mammograms anymore. Then she got cancer. Story by UTMB Staff Writer Photos courtesy of Glory Childs and UTMB G lory Childs looked forward to a day of shopping when she stopped by her doctor’s office in the fall of 2019 to pick up a prescription for a refill. “You know, you hav- en’t had a pap smear in years,” her doctor said. Childs, 64 now, already knew that. She hadn’t had a pap smear in about 10 years. “I had a hysterectomy in my late 40s,” Childs said. “And I didn’t go back for a well-woman check.” She didn’t think any of these annual exams ap- plied to her anymore. She was especially not interested in the mammo- gram the doctor men- tioned she needed as well. Childs tried her best to get out of the mam- mogram, but the helpful receptionist insisted on scheduling everything. Getting the mammogram would be simple because it was in the same build- ing at the UTMB Health League City Campus. “It’s right next door,” the receptionist told her. Childs gave in and got the mammogram done the same day. What she discovered next changed her life. The mammogram showed two suspicious spots. Her doctor told her she would need a biopsy. After the biopsy, Childs got a call at work. She had cancer. “On the way home, it re- ally hit me because cancer is cancer,” Childs said. “I was really praying driving home, and I stopped at the store to get something. I lost some of my money in my change.” That wasn’t like her, but the news had thrown her. She kept trying to add it up. Friends, family and healthcare professionals helped her with tough choices. Her UTMB Health doctors, including Dr. Suzanne Klimberg, an oncological surgeon, and Dr. Julie Park, plastic surgeon, guided her, Childs said. “My primary doctor — the one who sug- gested that I have the mammogram — called and talked to me,” Childs said. “She told me Dr. Klimberg is a very good doctor, and that she trusted her. That was a relief to me.” But adding to her stress was the pressure of her job as a customer service representative for an insurance company. She would need time off for her mastectomy and recovery and reconstruc- tion and any other proce- dures she might need. “They didn’t like for you to take off from Septem- ber to February,” Childs said. “That was our busy season. I was diagnosed in October 2019, so I had surgery in November.” She would need anoth- Dr. Suzanne Klimberg er surgery that February for reconstruction of her breasts. “I just couldn’t handle it,” Childs said. “It was very depressing to me.” Her sister moved in with Childs and her husband to help, includ- ing keeping the draining tubes from her surgical wounds clean. Childs was too sore to do it. “She would get all the fluids and blood out,” Childs said. “You could see all these particles and stuff coming out.” She was depressed and didn’t feel like eating, but her sister insisted and made sure she got her protein. “I didn’t think I was ever going to heal,” Childs said. She had reconstruc- tive surgery in 2020, and then, in 2021, she had another part of the reconstruction done. “Each time, I took time off from my job, and each time, they would say, ‘We don’t have to hold your job,’” she said. She noticed it took her longer to heal, and she wondered if the job stress was why. It was easy to decide to retire from that job in 2021, and Child doesn’t regret putting her health first. Her husband encour- aged her to do it, also. Childs hesitated about joining a support group for breast cancer patients and survivors, but during the COVID pandemic, she could attend Zoom meet- ings and not feel pres- sured to say anything. After a few meetings, she did start sharing because she began to see how much she had in com- mon with other women. Eventually, she met with other support group members in person. She began to see things a little differently. Her pastor from church visited her in the hospi- tal. Other people didn’t have that kind of support. Her sister helped with awkward personal tasks. Other women didn’t have a dedicated sister. It over- whelmed her to under- stand how much support she already had. “I would watch TV and see the St. Jude commer- cials come on,” Childs said. “And I would see all those babies with cancer. Now, why do I think I don’t deserve cancer but a baby who doesn’t know what’s going on has it? That kind of changed my attitude.” Childs participates in various breast cancer awareness events. Recent- ly, she agreed to be in a fashion show. It wasn’t her idea, but she didn’t mind selling tickets to her family. At the fashion show, she was surprised with a huge gift basket, her reward for selling the most tickets. Her extend- ed family of nieces and nephews showed up for their Aunt Glory. Childs went back to see her UTMB Health primary care provider for a refill and a talk. “I just said, ‘Woman, thank you for saving my life, because I wouldn’t have had a mammogram had you not been so insistent.’” 6 | The Daily News | Think Pink | October 2022 Y otarsha Hill’s life changed July 1, 2017. It was her 43rd birth- day, and she expected to have a low-key and relaxing day. “I was taking my shower and I decided to do my breast self-ex- am,” she said. “On one side, everything was fine, but on the other side, I felt a lump.” In that moment, she remembered she had been experiencing itching sensa- tions there and knew something was wrong. “What a birthday gift,” Hill thought. As the water ran over her, she cried. And then she prayed. “This is God telling me ‘This is your second chance,’” she thought. “You got this!” When she told her mother and grandmother, they all prayed to- gether. A few months later, Hill learned she had stage 2 cancer, which meant it was confined to the breast. It also was determined that she was positive for the BRCA 1 gene, one of two genes most com- monly affected in hereditary breast and ovarian cancers. For Hill, 2018 began with a dou- ble mastectomy and implantation of tissue expanders that would be used to reconstruct her breasts after treatment. Adding the tissue expanders at the time of mastectomy can reduce the number of surgeries required for a patient, which sounded good to Hill. “That was my first surgery ever in my life,” she said. “I was very scared.” Whenever a mastectomy is cov- ered by insurance, so are breast re- construction and prostheses thanks to the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998. “A lot of women don’t realize reconstruction is covered as part of their cancer journey,” said Dr. Julie Park, plastic surgeon and Director of Breast Reconstruction at UTMB Health. Even after the 1998 law guar- anteed access to reconstruction, awareness of that access lagged with only 30 percent of breast cancer patients undergoing recon- structive surgery. In 2015, Congress passed the Breast Cancer Patient Education Act to ensure breast can- cer patients — particularly of racial and ethnic minority groups — are PATIENCE AND PRAYER SURVIVOR KEEPS FAITH WHILE UTMB BREAST HEALTH TEAM LEADS HER THROUGH RECOVERY, RECONSTRUCTION Story by Leslie Sanderson Photo courtesy of Yotarsha HillOctober 2022 | Think Pink | The Daily News | 7 aware of breast reconstruction, prostheses and other options. Further supporting this cause is Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day, which is an interna- tional observance recognized on the third Wednesday of October. To commemorate the day, educate people in local communities and honor breast cancer survivors, UTMB Health hosts its own event each BRA day — a tradition now in its ninth year. While widespread awareness and resources are one key part of every cancer patient’s journey, so too is a strong, stable group of cheerleaders and people they can lean on during a tough time. Luckily for Hill, she had a phe- nomenal support group of family and friends helping her through every step of her journey. “The worst part was the foggy head,” she said, adding that she wasn’t as sick as many people are during chemo treatments. “I felt bad during the week, but by the week- end, I’d be up and ready to go.” Hill rang the bell for the first time in late summer 2018. In September of that year, she began radiation treatments. “Then I got to ring the bell again,” she said. “Oh my God, that was the best feeling.” Although she started her cancer care jour- ney elsewhere, Hill later transitioned to UTMB Health, where Dr. Park led her care during recon- struction. Hill said she appreci- ated the level of con- cern for her well-being and the willingness to listen to her and answer all of her questions. For Hill, her breast reconstruction has not been without setbacks. Hill had issues with skin deterioration due to radiation. “She’s incredibly slender, so several rounds of fat grafting have “A lot of women don’t realize reconstruction is covered as part of their cancer journey.” DR. JULIE PARK, PLASTIC SURGEON AND DIRECTOR OF BREAST RECONSTRUCTION AT UTMB HEALTH Do your research. Schedule an appointment. It doesn’t just happen to women. Look out for the signs of breast cancer. Look out for the signs of breast cancer. GRAPHIC: LIZ DAVIS/THE DAILY NEWS been required,” Dr. Park said, adding that many patients require more than one round of plastic surgery. Dr. Park recommends that breast cancer patients ask whether their cancer surgeon partners with a plastic surgeon. “I’m fortunate to work in a mul- tidisciplinary environment here at UTMB, where care is coordinated in concert with other physicians,” Dr. Park said, adding that in many parts of the country, coordinated care is less accessible. UTMB Health offers compre- hensive breast health services for women across the region, including imaging, surgery, plastic surgery and medical and radiation oncology at one of the newest and best-equipped facilities in our area. “We provide patients a coordi- nated breast care experience with some of the most experienced providers in the state,” said Dr. Suzanne Klimberg, professor and chief of the UTMB Health Division of Surgical Oncology within the Depart- ment of Surgery. “Our care team pri- oritizes your needs and goals throughout your cancer journey, from first detection to survivorship support and beyond.” For Hill, breast reconstruction is just a part of the transformation she’s experienced since that birth- day back in 2017. She tries to live in the moment now while having new enthusiasm for the future. When she was diagnosed, Hill worked in the fast food indus- try. But, inspired by her medical journey, she went back to school, and in a month, will complete her high school education. She plans to become an X-ray technician and would like to work as a traveling X-ray tech, a vocation inspired by what she’s learned over the past few years and her recent job as a COVID-19 screener at the Port of Galveston. “I met people from all over the world,” Hill said of her job at the port. “I met a lot of my pink sisters as they were going on cruises to celebrate.” Today, she believes in sharing her story and offering support to anyone who reaches out and is going through a similar journey. “I’ve been there. Overall, it made me more positive and upbeat.” Her advice to any woman who finds an ordinary day disrupted by an unwelcome discovery? “Pray,” Hill said. “Keep your head up. It is hard. But pray.” UTMB will celebrate BRA (Breast Reconstruction Aware- ness) Day on Wednesday, Oct. 19 with events in Galveston, Clear Lake and League City. For more information on those events, as well as Breast Health services and providers, visit utmbhealth. com/breasthealth or call (409) 772-7150. 8 | The Daily News | Think Pink | October 2022 Your first mammogram won’t be as bad as you might think Story by Margaret Battistelli Gardner Photo courtesy of UTMB Step up to the plate (Y ou want to do what to my what?) I knew what to expect when I showed up at the hospital for my first mammogram. I had talked to countless women who’d had them. (Tell me every detail. Does it hurt? Do they get their shape back?) But when the time came, I still couldn’t believe what they wanted to do to my breasts — those modestly sized extensions of myself that had fed my daughter and pleased their share of lovers in their day. The receptionist takes my informa- tion, hands me a gown and tells me to disrobe from the waist up. She also tries to put my mind at ease. “The worst part is the anxiety before- hand. Everybody is nervous. And, yes, they do bounce right back,” she says, reading my mind. My appointment is for 11 a.m. By 11:15, I already feel compromised. It doesn’t help that I’m standing here in a hospital gown. At least I have my pants on. And the room is kind of pretty. All pastels and soft lighting. Next, the tech comes in and explains that I’ll step up to the mammography machine and place my right breast on a platform — a thought that immedi- ately sends me into a good 30 seconds of nervous giggles. (I always thought I’d be placed on a pedestal someday, but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.) Then she’ll direct the machine to slowly clamp the plastic plates above and below my breast to flatten it out. (Excuse me?) “Not flat like a pancake,” she assures me. “More like a balloon that’s been pushed down.” (Sister, you distinctly said “flatten.”) “Your chart says you have dense breasts,” she says. “Sometimes that makes it harder to get a clear image. But you should be OK.” (Yeah, the doc did tell me my breasts are dense. I didn’t know what he meant; I just took it as a compliment.) “Ten days after the end of your peri- od is the best time to get this done. It hurts less,” the tech says. (OK, at least my timing is good. Wait … what? Hurts?) I follow her instructions and step up to the plate, so to speak. She puts things in their proper place and battens down the hatches. I’m feeling panicky. It doesn’t seem normal, and I want out. OK, I’m ignoring the pressure and that tiny twinge of pain. Not in my breast itself, but underneath where the machine is tugging my skin. I’m ignor- ing the feel of cold plastic and think- ing instead of silk camisoles, a lover’s breath and the warm sun on that beach in Greece a lifetime ago. Things that make breasts happy. And then, it’s over. A little discomfort, no real pain. That was the front view. Now, there’s a side view to be taken. (What is this — a mug shot? Who’s being booked, me or my breasts? And what are the charges? Defying the laws of gravity? I wish. Am I the only one who thinks that’s funny?) Each compression — and admittedly there are quite a few — lasts about 10 seconds Having a mammogram isn’t exactly a pleasant experience, but if you get your- self into the right frame of mind, you can relax, even laugh, right up to the mo- ment the machine clamps down on you. Then you grit your teeth and curse the gene that made you a woman. Un- til, seconds later, you’re free again. Then, of course, you remember you have two. In this case, the left X-ray goes just as smoothly, and the whole study is done in about 20 minutes — most of them spent arranging and rearranging your breasts on the plate. Afterward, I’m watching a self-exam how-to narrated by Rita Moreno and Meryl Streep and sipping green tea in my gown when a doctor comes in to tell me I have “fine breasts.” (Not exactly the scenario I would have wanted to hear that in, and I know you’re talking specifically about the insides but, hey, I’ll take it.) “You take a good picture,” she says. (All right, now, are you pulling my leg?) No, she’s serious. It’s a clear image, so I don’t have to go back under the clamp. And most importantly, there are no masses. I’ll have to wait for my doc- tor’s final reading, but things look good. Even from the outside, my poor bat- tered breasts don’t look any worse for wear. And, yes, they’ve plumped right back up to their pre-compression shape. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Do yourself and the people who love you a favor and take care of your breasts. For the record, that means doing more than buying them lacy bras. It means eating right, exercising and doing regular breast self-exams. And if you’re over 40, don’t be a boob — get a mammogram. To learn more about UTMB Health’s Breast Health program, visit utmbhealth.com/breasthealth. To schedule a mammogram, call 409-772-7150. (This column originally was pub- lished in The Galveston County Daily News on Oct. 13, 2020.)October 2022 | Think Pink | The Daily News | 9 I n October 2020, while everyone was trying to avoid COVID, Tina Herring was told she had the other “C” word — cancer. She was diagnosed at the peak of the pandemic, which meant no one was al- lowed to accompany her to treatments. And she chose not to share her diagno- sis with family members, who already had lost so much to the disease. “This forced me to rely on my faith,” she said. When the pandemic closed her church, Herring hosted a weekly prayer call with the women of the con- gregation. What she didn’t know is that she was preparing herself for the fight of her life. The scriptures she studied for the call became her weapon, she said, and she would remind herself of the prom- ises of God multiple times a day. “And on some of my worst days, I would dance to Lizzo’s ‘Good as Hell,’” she said. “That song says ‘Baby, how you feeling? Feeling good as hell,’ so I would tell myself just that and dance and laugh, loudly! “So often we hear the word cancer, and we prepare ourselves to die,” she said. “I decided to do the opposite and prepare myself to live.” Herring showed up to her appoint- ments dressed to the nines because, “I didn’t want to look like what I was go- ing through,” and she made certain to keep life as normal as possible for her son, who had lost his father to cancer. “I wanted him to see that I was liv- ing with cancer, not dying with it,” she said. To keep her mind occupied, she got into an MBA program and earned her master’s degree. Herring, a financial analyst at the University of Texas Medical Branch, had no symptoms. There was no dis- coloration on her breast, no rippled skin, no discharge. No lumps that she was aware of. It was a routine checkup that revealed the cancer. From having her port installed, her breast removed and numerous recon- structive surgeries, she’s been to the operating room “so many times that I have lost count.” But a positive mindset got her through her journey. “Every day you have to choose to live, and you have to empower yourself and you have to do that while you’re vomiting and losing your hair,” she said. “But you have to tell yourself that you’re worth it. And then you have to understand that it’s OK to not be OK. “Especially as women, we’re sup- posed to be strong and we think that we have to hold everything togeth- er,” she said. “And that is totally the opposite of what God says. It is when we are weak that God can show us his strength. It is when we let go that God can take control.” Herring decided not to make broad announcements about her journey. In- stead, she told only a few close friends. “I went through it privately, but not alone,” she said. “It’s important to sur- round yourself with the right people. You’ll hear people say, ‘Oh, my sister had it and she died.’ “Don’t take ownership of somebody else’s story,” she said. “Whatever you believe about yourself, that is what you are. I had to constantly channel my thoughts and stay off the internet.” Dr. Colleen Silva, a professor and the medical director of Breast Health at UTMB Health, and Dr. Julie Park, a professor and the director of the UTMB Health Breast Reconstruction program, oversaw Herring’s care and treated her with respect, and they listened, she said. “That was not always the case with other medical professionals throughout this process,” she said. “There were some instances that I was treated like I was less than, and I didn’t matter. “Dr. Park always listened to my con- cerns and answered my questions,” she said. “She always encouraged me and cheered me on. I do not think I would have gone through this intense recon- struction process with anyone else.” Herring reminds women that breast cancer isn’t a death sentence — unless you decide not to do something about it. She advises them to “show up” for themselves. “Get your boobies checked! Early detection is the best detection, and cancer is not a death sentence,” she said. “I am living proof.” ‘Every day you have to choose to live’ Positivity and a small group of supportive friends helped Tina through her cancer journey Story by Margaret Battistelli Gardner Photo courtesy of Tina HerringNext >