About one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
Behind each of those numbers is a face and a family and a story
about how the journey shaped them in so many unique ways – from
reflecting on their experience to realizing what really matters.
Because breast cancer runs in
Sherron Jernigan’s family, she had
always been vigilant about getting
her mammogram every year.
But it was the changes she noticed in her left breast
that would ultimately lead to a biopsy and a
diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in Jan. 2020.
“I was really impressed with how
seriously the breast team at CalvertHealth
took my concerns,” said the 58-year-old
Huntingtown resident. “You know when
something is wrong with your body,” even
though a second mammogram and ultrasound
did not detect a mass.
Based on her consult with breast imager
Dr. Chandra Baker and breast surgical
oncologist Dr. Theodore Tsangaris, an MRI
was ordered that revealed something
suspicious, which was enough to raise a flag.
A biopsy was performed and it confirmed she
had breast cancer.
“When Dr. Baker told me, it was almost
somewhat of a relief,” said the mother of four.
“I thought: OK, now I know what this is.”
Her persistence in pursuing answers is what medical oncologist Dr. Arati Patel says
all women need to do. “Changes like
lumps, bumps, skin thickening, redness,
swelling, pain, nipple discharges, etc.
should be reported to your healthcare
provider immediately,” said Dr. Patel.
Jernigan, who was treated during
the height of the pandemic, said she was
especially grateful for the personalized
care she received at the breast center.
“They were so caring and willing to take
the time to treat me as an individual and
to understand and address my individual
needs,” she said.
When asked to describe her
experience at the Sheldon E. Goldberg
Center for Breast Care at CalvertHealth,
Jernigan used three words – supportive,
blessing and informative. “They would
tell me certain things to watch for. So,
when they happened, it didn’t catch me
off guard,” she said. “For me, the more
informed I am, the more I feel I can deal
with this.”
Early in her treatment, Jernigan
said she remembers thinking, “I can
do this and still remain at work. But
Dr. Patel was very honest to say with
your high stress job, if you can take off,
you may need to consider taking some
leave. That was some really good advice.
“This experience has taught me it’s
okay to be selfish,” she said. “And it’s
okay for me to do self-love and self-care.
As women, we forget to take care of us.
It’s okay to say: I need to do this for me.”
It’s been two years. That’s how long Gail Gross has been on
her breast cancer journey.
It has taught her a lot about her own
strength and the power of staying positive. Most importantly, it’s
taught her how important a good support team can be.
“I never gave up. I kept fighting and smiling and saying: I’m going
to get through this. The Lord is with me. I’m not going to let this get
me down,” said the 58-year-old Owings resident, who was diagnosed
in September 2019.
She said CalvertHealth’s breast center team was a great source
of encouragement. “I can truly say I don’t think I would have been
as strong and as faithful as I was without them,” she said. “They
were always calling and checking on me… explaining everything and
asking me if I had any questions.”
She remembers the night before her double mastectomy vividly. “I
was sitting on the couch and saying my prayers. I just broke down and
cried. My daughter said: ‘Mom, you’ve been so strong … just let it go.
Get it all out. I’m here with you.’ Once I got it all out, I felt like it was a
lot of pressure off of me.”
As a home health aide, Gross was the one who always took care of
others. During her breast cancer treatment, she learned to lean on her
family. “I have one sister and two brothers. Whenever something goes
down for one of us, we all come together for each other.”
They were by her side every step of the way. When her hair fell out
from chemotherapy, her brother shaved her head. They sat with her
during infusion therapy, made sure she had her medication and gas to
go back and forth to the doctor. They bought her protein shakes and
special cream for her skin when she started radiation therapy.
“After surgery, it took me a long time to look in the mirror,” said
Gross. “I didn’t want to see both of my breasts gone. One day I said: It
is what is. I’m still here. So, not having breasts doesn’t matter to me
because I still have breath in my body.
“I lie to nobody. That was a long journey and it was tough,” said
Gross. “But I’m glad I came here (to CalvertHealth). I would give them
five stars. They make you feel so welcome and so special.”
A cancer diagnosis can transform how you see yourself.
Quiet and shy, Tonya Calacino was always a private person.
Then the 50-year-old hair stylist from Chesapeake Beach
decided to put her journey on Facebook to raise awareness
about the importance of monthly breast self-exams.
After her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2017,
Calacino started doing monthly breast self-exams. Three
years later, she found a lump on her left side. “My cancer was
aggressive,” she explained. “When I found it on Nov. 6, 2020,
it was the size of the tip of my pinky. By Jan. 6, when I had my
first chemotherapy treatment, it had grown to the size of the
middle of my thumb.”
She went on to add, “If I had waited for the letter to get my
annual mammogram in February, I would have been at least
stage 3 or 4.” Calacino had chemotherapy to shrink her tumor,
followed by a lumpectomy and then radiation therapy, which
lowers the risk of the breast cancer coming back.
Every two weeks, she would post a photo and add to her
story. “I’ve learned to open up more,” said the Calvert native,
who has a 9-year-old daughter. “You never know how what
you’re saying could help somebody else.”
When she reflects on her experience at CalvertHealth,
Calacino said the quality of care and physician expertise
were amazing but it was the “caring” that left the deepest
impression. “When you talk to Dr. Patel, it’s like she is your best
friend or your sister or your mom,” she recalls. “Dr. Tsangaris
would always put his hand on my shoulder and ask: How are
you today? Are you doing OK?
“They were both so concerned about my life,” she said,
“and making sure they were going to do the best they could do
to get me back to my lifestyle and be with my family.”
Although neuropathy in her fingers and feet has prevented
her from returning to work so far, Calacino enjoys planting in
the yard, playing with her daughter outdoors or just listening to
the wind in the trees while sitting on her deck.
A common side effect of chemotherapy, neuropathy can
cause pain, weakness and balance issues. While Calacino has
gradually improved, Dr. Patel said up to 50 percent of people
can still have symptoms up to a year later.
Lisa Simmons had just moved into a new house,
adopted two puppies and gotten a promotion at work,
when a breast cancer diagnosis last year turned her
world upside down.
“I was in shock,” said the 42-year-old
mother of two who lives in King George, VA with her husband.
“I had missed my routine screening mammogram the
previous October,” said Simmons. “But when my older sister
found out she had a precancerous tumor in April 2020… that
made me wake up and think I better go get checked out.”
Initially, she came to Prince Frederick to have a biopsy with
Dr. Baker. But her first impression of CalvertHealth’s breast
center was so positive, she opted to have all of her treatment
there even though the drive is more than an hour each way. “I
always felt like I was their only patient.”
“Everything is so well coordinated,” she said.“The Breast
Nurse Navigator, Megan Hance, helped organize everything
for me. It made the whole process 1,000 percent easier.”
Simmons said she was also influenced by the qualifications
of the breast center team. “Dr. Tsangaris has the best bedside
manner of any doctor I have ever met,” she said. “Even though
I was panicking inside, his way of explaining things calmed me
and reassured me.”
She went on to add, “I trust Dr. Patel is going to help me
make the right decisions for me. Between them, there is this
world of experience and knowledge.”
Simmons said she felt surrounded by support. “The
infusion nurses were so comforting during what was a very
scary time for me,” she said. “The dietitian gave me some good
advice and recipes for smoothies and fruit drinks that helped
a lot. The physical therapist taught me massage techniques
and stretching exercises that really made a difference.”
For her, the biggest lesson is to be self-aware. “Even though
technology is amazing and mammograms are beneficial, I
learned that self-exams are the most important thing … to pay
attention to changes in your breasts.”
Dr. Patel agrees. “In general, mammogram screening
guidelines are in place to identify early breast cancers that are
not yet symptomatic… we rely on our patients to tell us when
they notice any type of change in their breasts or armpits.”