ABOUT THIS EPISODE
A faint red streak. No obvious lump. Just a deep sense that something wasn’t right. Ann Riley followed that instinct, kept calling for an opening, and pushed for answers until imaging revealed a breast cancer diagnosis that was hiding behind her nipple. What follows is an honest, practical patient story that shows how self-advocacy and a clear care plan can change everything, especially when time feels like it’s moving too fast.
We talk through Ann’s HER2-positive breast cancer diagnosis and what that label actually meant for treatment. She explains why her team wanted to “kill it” with chemotherapy first, what it’s like living with a port, how side effects can hit days later, and why isolation is one of the toughest parts of chemo. Along the way, she shares the small, real-world habits that helped her cope: hydration, food when appetite disappears, walking for sunlight and breaking the journey into manageable goals.
From a December mastectomy to the surprise of having 14 lymph nodes removed, Ann also opens up about rehab, compression sleeves, prosthetics, and making personal decisions about breast reconstruction at her own pace. We end with what stayed with her most: the power of support, the skill of the care team, and the people who set the tone the moment you walk into the cancer center.
For more content from Centra Health check us out on the following channels.
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
SHOW NOTES 🔗
TRANSCRIPT 🔗
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.679
Hi, my name is Cammie Smith.
00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:03.200
Welcome to Anne So Much More.
00:00:03.439 --> 00:00:11.359
This is Central Health's podcast for patient stories and new procedures, new services, new physicians and providers.
00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:14.240
We want to tell the stories of our health system.
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:15.759
And that's what we get to do today.
00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:18.719
I'm here with a patient here at Centra.
00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:20.399
Her name is Ann Riley.
00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:23.120
And you are a breast cancer survivor.
00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:23.679
Yes.
00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:24.160
Yes.
00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:26.719
2023 I was diagnosed.
00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:27.519
Oh wow.
00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:30.399
So this is, I mean, that feels so recent.
00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:32.399
It it is so recent.
00:00:33.200 --> 00:00:34.079
Well, let's start.
00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:37.520
Tell us a little bit about you, and then we'll jump into your story.
00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:39.200
Well, I'm a Lynchburg native.
00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:42.159
I was born at Virginia Baptist Hospital in 1966.
00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.280
My mother uh actually retired from neonatal unit uh at Centra.
00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:47.679
Okay.
00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:49.920
In fact, she went to nursing school at Virginia Baptist.
00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:51.520
Well, you're a very central family.
00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:51.920
Yeah.
00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:58.640
And my father uh was Lynchburg firefighter, and he retired uh as a battalion chief.
00:00:58.799 --> 00:00:59.039
Okay.
00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:02.799
And I retired from Lynchburg Police Department in 2016.
00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:03.840
I was a lieutenant.
00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:08.480
Um my husband also retired from Lynchburg Police Department.
00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:11.120
So we're public safety family.
00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:12.879
I love that.
00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:23.920
Um and so um I guess how I am on this podcast, I found something wrong with my breast in 25 minutes.
00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:24.480
Yes.
00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:33.760
Okay I was um I had just completed a 22 mile section hike on the AT with some of my family.
00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:43.599
And um I was taking mulch off the back of the pickup truck, and I picked up a bag of mulch and hit myself square in the chest, and it hurt me.
00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:53.760
The only way I can describe that was like have you ever stepped on a stone with your heel, uh stone, the stone bruise, and that's what it felt like that it was in my breast.
00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.920
And I said, that wasn't it, that wasn't right.
00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:00.959
So I that night I really looked at it.
00:02:01.359 --> 00:02:02.719
Like a self-examination, yeah.
00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:08.319
And I couldn't feel anything, no lumps, no bumps, no, nothing, not under my armpit, anywhere.
00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:09.039
Okay.
00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:12.719
But the breast to me just did not look right.
00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:15.199
I I can't explain it, and I was not large.
00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:25.680
Uh uh, something was off, and I discovered a small uh red the faintest red streak to the left side of my breast.
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:28.800
And I said it's something inside of me said something's wrong.
00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:29.520
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:35.360
Uh and I called uh women's health and I said, Something's wrong with my breast.
00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:36.560
I need to see a doctor.
00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:46.240
And um, so several weeks went by, I saw my doctor, and he said, Ann, I don't feel anything, uh, but I see the the redness there.
00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:54.000
And ultimately he called in a mammogram uh at the Baptist, and uh and it was about a month later I got in.
00:02:54.080 --> 00:03:00.159
I kept calling, I just knew something was wrong, and I kept calling Did anybody I love hearing that you advocated for yourself.
00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:00.560
Yeah.
00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:01.759
Is there an opening?
00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:02.960
Is there a cancellation?
00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:04.080
Can you see me now?
00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:08.240
And evidently they're very busy because they are so busy.
00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:11.120
They were and uh finally got in.
00:03:11.199 --> 00:03:15.280
Uh that was in towards the end of June, I think it was 26th of June.
00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:20.400
And I went through the mammogram, and you know, I retired as a police officer.
00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:21.919
I'm watching this woman's face.
00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:25.280
And I said, I'm gonna be sitting back out in that waiting room.
00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:33.039
And sure enough, they asked me to wait for an ultrasound, and and again, watching her, and she's on this left side for a long time.
00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:36.479
And so she said to me, Um, I'll have Dr.
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:38.319
Lip come in and speak with you.
00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:39.120
And Dr.
00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:40.719
Lip came in and said, Mrs.
00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:47.360
Riley, you have a two-centimeter mass behind your nipple, and that's why no one could feel it.
00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:50.159
It's the warmest place in your breast.
00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:56.319
And uh she said, I would like to, if you'll let me, uh take a biopsy today.
00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:58.080
And I said, Let's get this over with.
00:03:58.400 --> 00:04:09.120
And then I guess four or five days later they called and said it was cancer, breast cancer, uh, ductal carcinoma, and it had spilled out into the breast.
00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:18.319
So uh of course, when you when you're told that they're amazing, they line up everybody that you need to see.
00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.360
Uh, and of course, I had to see Dr.
00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:22.160
McCallan.
00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:24.079
That was gonna be the first one.
00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:29.759
And uh when I met with her, she said to me, um, she's lovely.
00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.240
She said to me, You don't have the worst kind, but you don't have the best kind.
00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:36.480
And I and I said, Well, okay, what do I have?
00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:42.720
She said, You're HER2 positive, which means for every cell, cancer cell made, it makes two more.
00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:44.079
It keeps doubling.
00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:44.480
Okay.
00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:45.360
Goodness.
00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.560
Um so And what's that called HER2?
00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:49.839
HER2 positive.
00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:50.240
Okay.
00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:50.639
Okay.
00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:56.319
The good thing about HER2 though is that it's killable by chemo, really killable.
00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:01.120
So uh the plan was I had to get a port put in my chest.
00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:05.279
Um, and I was gonna I had to get an MRI.
00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:08.639
Uh the good thing was it had not spread to my lymph nodes.
00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:08.879
Okay.
00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:11.839
Yeah.
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:17.759
And uh, but I was gonna have to do six months of chemo and I would have to have a mass ectomy.
00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:19.360
I could not get a lumpectomy.
00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:19.839
Okay.
00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:21.120
Which was fine with me.
00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:22.000
I wanted it gone.
00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:22.959
Yeah, oh gosh.
00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:30.720
Well, I I feel like the moment you hear that there's something foreign, like something that's not right in your body, like just get it, just take it, please.
00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:31.920
Yes, please take it.
00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:33.120
I completely understand that.
00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:35.680
Well, I said we'll take it off now if you want to.
00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:38.560
And they said, no, with the type I had they want to kill it.
00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:40.480
They want to kill it.
00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:46.720
Um, and so um I had my first chemo uh treatment in July.
00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:47.279
Okay.
00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:50.800
And uh it was about four hours long.
00:05:51.519 --> 00:06:02.160
Uh uh th I believe it was three different types of chemo, and then they have to give you out of an uh they give you all kinds of things, anti-nause, three days worth of anti-nause.
00:06:02.399 --> 00:06:04.160
Wow because it hits you hard.
00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:11.439
Well, and mine did not hit me until two days the night of two days later.
00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:13.920
I would my voice would get squeaky.
00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:19.199
It would start with my voice, and uh it was it was rough.
00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:25.199
Uh the first go-around, um, I think I was down about four or five days and they came out of it.
00:06:25.279 --> 00:06:26.480
Uh, you know, down.
00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:34.639
Uh by the way, once you get your chemo, you have to come back the next day to get your white blood shell shot to shoot your white blood cells.
00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:36.720
Uh and you cannot be around people.
00:06:36.959 --> 00:06:38.959
You're told you cannot be around people.
00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:42.959
You will end up in the hospital with things that most people just shake off at home.
00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:44.000
Body can't fight it.
00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:46.160
Can't you don't have anything good at so you're isolated.
00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:48.480
You are isolated, and that was tough for me.
00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:49.120
That's awesome.
00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:49.839
Extra hurt.
00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:50.560
It was awesome.
00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:57.120
And really, to be honest with you, I wasn't thinking about dying uh with cancer.
00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.279
I was thinking about, man, this is really gonna occur.
00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:04.079
This is not gonna be good for my lifestyle because I like to get out and do things.
00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:07.519
Um six months of that, yeah.
00:07:07.759 --> 00:07:16.800
Well, it was July through um, well, I had my last chemo that in November, and then I had my mastectomy in December of 23.
00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:17.120
Okay.
00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:17.759
That was Dr.
00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:19.519
Plock that did that.
00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:22.959
Um, and I have a funny story about that.
00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:24.879
Well, he didn't think it was funny, but I did.
00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:27.120
Okay, I want to hear it.
00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:33.759
So I will tell you that the chemo is rough, and anybody that hears this, it is not a cakewalk.
00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:36.560
But here for me, this worked for me.
00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:38.800
Drank a lot of fluids.
00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.120
I mixed Gatorade with water.
00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:42.800
Uh, I did not drink sugar free.
00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:51.680
I wasn't a diabetic, but for me, I I thought the extra calories would be good uh because I just uh it does take your appetite away.
00:07:51.920 --> 00:07:59.759
The other thing I did was every after every chemo treatment, I would make my husband take me to a certain restaurant to eat chicken livers.
00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:00.800
I love chicken livers.
00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:04.959
I don't think I could eat chicken livers.
00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:06.240
Well, I thought it would help me.
00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:09.279
I love liver, but it would help me with building my blood back.
00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.800
So I thought it was so you are being proactive.
00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:13.920
You have to be.
00:08:14.079 --> 00:08:16.079
This chemo really kills everything.
00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:17.279
Digestive system.
00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:21.199
I lost my fingernails, toenails, I lost hair.
00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:25.279
Uh, I did not lose all my eyelashes and or eyebrows, and Dr.
00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:26.720
McAllen could not believe that.
00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:27.839
And I was bald.
00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:31.680
I was a cue ball, but I did not lose my eyelashes.
00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:34.240
I didn't have a whole lot of them, but I didn't lose them all.
00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:41.279
Um, but anyway, she would ask me, you know, uh, when I'd have to see her every three weeks, you know, what what have you been eating?
00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:43.440
And I'd tell her, and she's I don't know how you do that.
00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:43.759
Yeah.
00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:53.039
And I love buttermilk, it's cultured, and so that helped me keep the good things in my stomach and keep things moving because the anti care of yourself.
00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:55.679
I tried and I made myself get up and walk.
00:08:56.080 --> 00:09:04.799
Uh, even when I was down mostly in the bed for days, um, I would I would make myself get up and walk outside in the sunshine or just sit in the sunshine.
00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:06.000
I thought that's so good.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:06.799
It did.
00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:10.000
Um, and I had a wig, I had a great blonde wig.
00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:14.879
Love so fun.
00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:16.799
Uh so it it's tough.
00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:25.679
Uh, you have for me, what I had to do was hear the plan from my doctors, and then every step, every time I had a chemo, that was one goal.
00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:33.679
I'd met, and I only had four more to go, you know, or you know, and I was really down twice when I went in.
00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:41.600
I told the doctor or the nurse at the cancer center, I said, Have you ever had someone come in and you couldn't give them their chemo for the day?
00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:43.919
He said, Yes, but that why do you ask that, Mrs.
00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:44.480
Riley?
00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:46.960
I said, I don't think you're gonna give it to me today.
00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:52.639
I just have this feeling that I just can't, I I'm just my platelets and they were too low.
00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.679
And so I had to wait five days and come back and they shot right back up.
00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:57.200
So what caused that?
00:09:57.360 --> 00:10:00.159
Um the chemo, it it kills it can do that, everything.
00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:00.720
Yeah.
00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:06.320
Uh but you wait a couple days and it comes on back, and they're able to give you your cocktail for the for the evening.
00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:08.559
It was just an intuition, you just knew.
00:10:08.799 --> 00:10:09.039
Yeah.
00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:09.840
Oh wow.
00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:13.440
So um, anyhow, uh, I made it through.
00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:16.960
Made it through with a lot of prayers from friends, family.
00:10:17.120 --> 00:10:24.159
Um, my parents helped uh helped up in tremendously keeping me uh so my husband could still work.
00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:30.000
Uh and uh just it was support makes all the difference in the world.
00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:30.799
You have to have that.
00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:34.799
And I saw a lot of people at the at Pearson that didn't have that.
00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:36.080
I felt so sorry for them.
00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:39.759
You know, when I'd feel down, I'd look around and say, You've got it pretty good.
00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:41.679
I really yeah, yeah.
00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:46.080
Um, so and that's a wonderful place, I'll tell you.
00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:49.759
I I would if it if I had another problem, I'd go right back there again.
00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:51.759
I mean, the care teams are phenomenal.
00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:54.559
The volunteers are unbelievable.
00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:56.960
Yes, I had a volunteer poor.
00:10:57.519 --> 00:10:58.559
She was such a nice lady.
00:10:58.639 --> 00:10:59.840
She's the lady taking the snacks.
00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:01.039
Yeah, the the snack.
00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:03.039
They have good snacks.
00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:03.600
They do.
00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:05.600
Yes, anytime I'm over there, I'm like, okay.
00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:19.759
But for my first treatment, uh in her behalf, I had long hair and it was my first treatment, and she couldn't see my port accessed, and she couldn't see the tube.
00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:21.600
And I was headed to the restroom.
00:11:21.759 --> 00:11:23.679
She says, Ma'am, you can't go in that one.
00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:24.639
That's for chemo.
00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:28.080
And I turned around and I said, You know, I'm past now.
00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:29.519
And she felt so bad.
00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:30.799
I said, Don't feel bad.
00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:33.919
I said, I'm gonna look like this in a couple weeks, you know.
00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:39.200
Uh she was sweet, but um, and it didn't take long, the hair starts coming out quickly.
00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:52.559
Uh so, but that group comes back, and uh anyhow, we December um 12th, I was supposed to have my mastectomy, and yeah, they called me and said Dr.
00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:54.799
Plock had uh COVID.
00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:58.399
So I had to wait another week, which I was so glad.
00:11:58.559 --> 00:11:58.799
Really?
00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:02.240
Because I could repair myself no, not really.
00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:05.200
I wasn't, and it gave me a week to mentally prepare for this.
00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:05.679
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:06.960
And then I was ready.
00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:08.399
You know, I was ready.
00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:11.840
Um, and uh, you know, I wasn't in pain.
00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:13.519
When I woke up, I wasn't in pain.
00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:21.600
Uh they had managed it uh in the first thing I did when I could look was look at myself and say, that doesn't look too bad.
00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:23.600
It's really a nice right.
00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:24.559
It really didn't.
00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:28.799
I mean, it was just like a uh a a doll or something, you know.
00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:35.519
And uh the the surgical uh the surgical scar was perfect, I mean straight across.
00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:38.559
I mean, really and truthfully wonderful surgeon.
00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:39.360
Yeah.
00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:47.840
Um so uh one thing that did not work in my favor, uh usually they would just take three lymph nodes.
00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.080
I think it's a sentinel and two others.
00:12:50.480 --> 00:13:05.279
Uh a week before, or two or one week before your mastectomy, you have to get a magtrace injected, which lights up the lymph nodes for, my understanding was lights up the lymph nodes for the surgeon so he can see them.
00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:07.120
It they change a different color.
00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:08.240
I don't know what color.
00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:18.240
Yeah um my breast was so scarred where the chemo had killed the cancer that it didn't let we think it just didn't let the mag trace go.
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:20.559
And so it never went to my lymph nodes.
00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.799
So I had 14 nodes taken out.
00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:23.440
He had to.
00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:27.120
There's you can't leave them in there if there's some some little cell.
00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:32.159
So I had 14 nodes, everything from the collarbone and down my arm he could find.
00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:33.600
Well, I'm very fortunate.
00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:44.480
I do not have I was active before this, and um now I gave my time, my body time to heal.
00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:49.200
I didn't, I wasn't like um some people just can't wait to get back in the gym.
00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:54.240
And I I don't think that's the best for me that wouldn't have worked.
00:13:54.320 --> 00:14:06.080
Um, my body was tired and had run the gauntlet, as one of my really good friends who's a survivor of breast cancer said, you run the gauntlet and you need to rest and you need to eat.
00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:08.000
Um, and you've got time to get back.
00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.679
You just need to learn go to your rehab, and they had a wonderful rehab.
00:14:11.759 --> 00:14:14.080
Now I think they've moved, they were at the Baptist when I went.
00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.200
Yes, they have moved over to the Lane Horn Medical Center.
00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:19.120
Yes, phenomenal.
00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:20.639
But they were terrific.
00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:23.440
And uh I started my exercises.
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.559
In fact, I showed up over there with a drain still in me.
00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:27.519
Really?
00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:29.039
You were like, let's go.
00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:32.159
Yeah, I'm ready to do this because I need to use this arm.
00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:37.600
And um, but it they took measurements and ordered sleeve, a sleeve for me.
00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:39.279
What what is the sleeve for?
00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.600
A compression because your lymph nodes are gone.
00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:44.000
They move the your lymph fluid.
00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:44.960
Oh wow.
00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:53.840
Um now the only time I have to wear it now is if I'm on a trip in a car that's more than two hours because your arm's just hanging there.
00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:55.440
Yeah, you need to be moving.
00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:58.399
So when you sleep.
00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:03.200
You know, uh this is awful, and I never told my doctors this or Dr.
00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:08.960
Plock this, but after you're not supposed to raise your arm, but I woke up after the surgery.
00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:12.639
I woke up in the bed with my arm propped back in the bed.
00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:13.200
Oh wow.
00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:16.000
And I was like, oh my god, what I'm supposed to be doing.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:22.000
So I don't know what was going on there, but uh everybody needed it.
00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:25.279
Yeah, it it it the body knows, the body knows.
00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:26.559
Uh maybe the gravity.
00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:27.120
I don't know.
00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:27.759
Yeah.
00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.559
Um okay, so what's the story with Dr.
00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:30.960
Plough?
00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:44.879
Well, uh, so you know, I had two drains in my side, obviously, and uh I was feeling really good because remember I'd been on chemo so long that now my chemo I was feeling like life changing.
00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:49.200
Yeah, so you know, I told you I like to hike, and I said, Well, I feel pretty good.
00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:52.480
So I tucked those drains in and I went on a two-mile hike.
00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.440
Well, the day before I went to see him too.
00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:56.159
Oh no.
00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:56.639
Yeah.
00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:59.600
So he asked me how I was doing, and I said, Doing great.
00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:00.799
I took a two-mile hike.
00:16:00.960 --> 00:16:11.120
Now I didn't hike hike like you know, yeah, I took it slow, but it was just to be outside, yeah, just was the the best medicine for me I could ever have.
00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:12.960
And uh he said, Mrs.
00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:14.720
Riley, you can't do that.
00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:16.080
I said, Well, I did it.
00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:16.720
I did it.
00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:17.600
I'm really kidding.
00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:19.919
I feel really good now.
00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:25.440
So um I feel like our care teams, they really lean in, they want what's best for us.
00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:26.080
They do.
00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:26.960
But it's hard.
00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:29.600
It's hard to put your whole life on hold like that.
00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:34.240
Yes, and I wasn't a sedentary person, so it was uh it was not good.
00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:44.159
Um I wasn't a candidate to have reconstruction during that surgery because they wanted to test all tissue because of the HERT or the pathologies.
00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:47.919
And it came back with a complete response to chemo.
00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:49.200
They couldn't find a live cell.
00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:50.480
I mean, I was so blessed.
00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:51.840
Good Lord really blessed me.
00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:53.200
That's amazing.
00:16:53.519 --> 00:17:01.919
Um, and I went and got a prosthetic rest, and uh, you have to wear special bras with those, and I went and got fitted for that.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:02.879
And okay.
00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.519
That did I I did not enjoy the bra for me.
00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:08.160
I it wasn't a sports bra, it just wasn't comfortable to me.
00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:15.680
And so I decided to put it in my my regular sports bra while I'm outside working and you can't feel anything.
00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:19.359
And I looked down and it slid over and I started laughing.
00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:21.359
It was the funniest thing ever.
00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:27.039
Uh and I said, okay, it's time to to look at reconstruction for me.
00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:31.920
For me, yeah, it's every woman's choice, but I still had my right breast.
00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:35.599
Oh, I did not, I had just a single, I did not have a double.
00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:36.079
Okay.
00:17:36.240 --> 00:17:42.079
Um, I did uh did not have the type they said that typically jump ship to the other breast.
00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:48.160
And I just didn't, for me, didn't think it was I needed to cut off on perfectly good body part.
00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:48.960
Yeah.
00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:54.000
Um and I and I conferred with both of my doctors about that.
00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:57.039
Um so many deeply personal decisions.
00:17:57.759 --> 00:17:58.160
A ton.
00:17:58.319 --> 00:17:59.599
And everybody's different.
00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:00.079
Yeah.
00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:04.160
But I am right-handed and I didn't want any nerves cut, you know.
00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:05.119
Yeah, okay, yeah.
00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:05.920
No, that makes sense.
00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:06.480
Yeah.
00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:13.440
So um I just I so I went to see uh the Center of Plastic Surgery, and it was Dr.
00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:25.200
Pitzer, he's no longer here, but he did my first reconstruction phase where they put an expander in, and then you after you heal, you go every so many weeks and get they you watch it as the coolest thing.
00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:32.160
They have a little metal detect metal detector and they find the port and they just put a little butterfly in there and shoot the saline, and you watch it go away.
00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:32.880
Yeah.
00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:36.079
So yeah, it was, it was cool.
00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:38.559
And um, and I still had my port in.
00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:43.680
I still had that, and so I waited a year before I had the final surgery.
00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:49.359
So that was April of 24, and I had the final surgery last year, May of 25.
00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:50.880
And that's when I met Dr.
00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:52.960
Payton, and he is so awesome.
00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:54.079
He is so awesome.
00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:54.480
Yes.
00:18:54.720 --> 00:18:55.519
Oh, I love it.
00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:02.799
Uh, and so he um he did my final everybody at that office is great, by the way.
00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:03.599
I agree.
00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:05.200
Oh, yeah.
00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:06.720
I'm good stars.
00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:09.680
I don't know for me, I don't know why you would go anywhere else.
00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:12.400
These they're they're young and they're very good.
00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:15.519
Um, and I was pleased.
00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:36.400
Uh, in fact, I I actually uh let them take photos of so other breast cancer um survivors could see what it looks like to have one real breast and then you know yeah totally made us um now I did have uh some augmentation on the right side to even the symmetry.
00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:36.960
Okay.
00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:41.759
Yes, and uh but I'm happy with with the results.
00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:44.720
Um uh I I have to see Dr.
00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:47.200
Payton, he's coming up to see him soon.
00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:50.960
I love that yeah, uh once a year with him, and then Dr.
00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:53.359
Plock once a year, and of course I see Dr.
00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:55.599
McCallum once every six months now.
00:19:55.920 --> 00:20:03.119
Just to check Yeah, she checks my blood levels because that tells everything, you know, and so I see her at the end of the month.
00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:08.160
Um, but I I I tell you, I don't know why anybody else would go anywhere else.
00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:24.960
We have everything right here, and uh the care I got from every nurse, every LPN, RN, uh even the lady that did three echocardiograms, she was awesome because I they had to check my heart because the medicines were were tough on me.
00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:26.960
Um the cocktail.
00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:28.240
Yes, the cocktail.
00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:31.279
Goodness and the target drugs so much.
00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:32.000
Yeah.
00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:34.480
So you touch so many different areas.
00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:36.000
Yeah, I know I talk a lot.
00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:37.039
No, no, no, no, no.
00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:37.759
Think about it.
00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:38.319
Think about it.
00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:40.559
You tell you are very good at telling your story.
00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:47.680
Well, um, and you can yeah, I can hear like the emotion, and I mean that it's a huge journey.
00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:54.480
Yes, it is, and um, you know, I like I said, I looked at it as goals.
00:20:54.640 --> 00:20:59.359
I'm gonna meet this goal and we're gonna get this over with, and then it's the next hill to climb, right?
00:20:59.440 --> 00:20:59.759
Mm-hmm.
00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:00.960
You know, take a little bit of it.
00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:07.920
But after it's all done and you sit back, and it then some of the emotion for me it would come out.
00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:15.759
Just thinking about it, then you release, you know, you you cry and you just can't believe that you you've you've done all this.
00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:18.880
Of course, I I believe that I didn't do it by myself.
00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.519
The good Lord was there with me, I can tell you.
00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:23.839
Uh you is it's tough.
00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:32.240
Um, and when you see uh two of my neighbors uh in Appomattox County were getting treated and they passed away.
00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:39.119
At the same time I was being treated, my sister-in-law had colon cancer and was being treated, and she was a central health nurse.
00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:41.839
Oh wow, um, and she passed away two years ago.
00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:45.039
So there was a lot of things going on in my mind.
00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:48.799
It wasn't just about me, you know, there was other concerns.
00:21:49.119 --> 00:22:00.880
And um, but I can say that it's a joy, and I have to mention one person who's very, very important to me, and that's Kathy at the desk at the Cancer Center.
00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:07.599
At the Cancer Center, yes, that lady makes you smile when so she sets the tone right there for you.
00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:12.480
Wow, and so when you first walk in, yes, okay, and they need to know that central needs to be.
00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:14.720
Shout out for Kathy, yes.
00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.039
Oh gosh, I love it.
00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:19.680
Um thank you so much for coming in and checking us too.
00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:20.559
I appreciate it.
00:22:20.720 --> 00:22:22.799
Um, I'm um blown away.
00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:30.799
Uh you are just like a ball of light, and so I hope that people who are watching this can see, like, like like you said, it's gonna be okay.
00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:31.519
You're gonna be okay.
00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:32.559
That's fine.
00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:35.839
And every story is different, every treatment is gonna be different.
00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:42.079
Um, and so I don't want to minimize that it's hard and minimize that we do lose so many people.
00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:49.519
Um, but the support over at the cancer center, and it's a it's a good place to be if that's where you need to be.
00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:53.759
You don't you don't ever want to be like this is where I want to go, but but if you have a lot of people.
00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:55.839
I just got an incredible care team for you.
00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:57.359
Yes, the whole team.
00:22:57.759 --> 00:22:58.319
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:58.559 --> 00:22:59.200
Well, thank you.
00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.039
Thank you for sharing your story.
00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:03.920
And thank you all for watching on and so much more.