
Lee Ann Fries
On February 11, 2018, I was taking a bath and discovered a lump in my breast.
It felt large and my breast did not look normal, and I worried about it
all night. I could not get into my gynecologist’s office for two
months, so I ended up going to an urgent care center. The urgent care
team got me into a facility that could do a mammogram and ultrasound the
same day. The results went to the urgent care physician who let me know
a biopsy was recommended. I was devastated, wasn’t sure which way
to turn. I remembered someone from my local Mom’s Facebook group
in Stuart offered to help. I reached out to Lisa Johnson, a contact at
Jupiter Medical Center’s Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center, and
she jumped in immediately and took care of everything, including paperwork
and appointments. She was an absolute angel, and I will be forever grateful for her.
Even before my biopsy results, I made a decision to radically change my
life. I decided to change my diet first and adopted an organic nutritarian
vegan diet. Before I knew it, I was losing weight and had more energy.
My radiologist performed my biopsy and confirmed my worst fears with a
diagnosis of cancer. A few days later, I was seen by Dr. Nancy Taft, medical
director of the Breast Program at Jupiter Medical Center. Then I met with
my nurse navigator, Donna, who scheduled additional tests. Everyone at
the Margaret W. Niedland Breast Center was wonderful!
As the days passed, my stress and anxiety rose. My family attends St. Joseph’s
Catholic Church in Stuart. I reached out to Sister Martina, who comforted
and encouraged me. I am a person of great faith and knew I needed to turn
this over to God. I decided that cancer would not be my death sentence.
It would be my love story—a way for change in my life and to better
myself. I continued to visit the sisters and my priest, Father Noel, for prayer.
The day of surgery, I told my surgeon that I had an army of prayer warriors
praying for me and for her and the surgical team. She hugged me, held
my hand, and told me that she had been praying for me and that she was
the Lord’s instrument and that God would be performing the surgery
through her hands. My plastic surgeon, Dr. Jason Cooper, and Dr. Taft
completed my surgery, and I received the good news that all of the cancer
had been removed. I saw Dr. Sumithra Vattigunta-Gopal a medical oncologist
at Jupiter Medical Center and had an Oncotype test. The test indicated
I did not need chemotherapy. I chose not have radiation therapy.
I thank God daily for my health. I continue to thank him daily for his
goodness, faithfulness and love. I eat to live and thank God for giving
me everything I need to heal my body naturally. God is good all the time!
My message for other women:
A cancer diagnosis does not have to be your death sentence. Think of cancer
as a message of love and hope—a signal to look at your life, listen
to your body and make changes. No one wants or dreams of cancer, but in
many ways it can change your life for the better. Decide each day to be
thankful to God for what you have been given. Have an attitude of gratitude.
Be forgiving. Let things go; don’t hold grudges. Choose to live
and be positive. Decide to make a difference in someone else’s life.
Enjoy the world God has given you by getting outside daily. Breathe, relax,
walk and pray. Claim your healing daily. Tell yourself you are healed
by the blood of Jesus. Smile … even when it’s hard. Always
remember you are beautiful, special, strong and loved! You can beat cancer!
Choose to live life to the fullest!
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EVO Italian
150 N. US Highway One
Tequesta, FL