Culberson – Grace Taylor Carringer knows all too well the devastating effects of breast cancer, both physically and emotionally.
She was first diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer in 2002. That means the cancer has spread from the breast tissue to the lymph nodes under the arm.
Carringer was diagnosed at age 60 – despite having no family history and doing everything she was supposed to do to maintain her breast health, including regular doctor visits as well as yearly mammograms. She survived a modified radical mastectomy and lymph node removal surgery.
Just 20 days after her first of eight chemotherapy treatments, Carringer lost her hair. She experienced the stares from strangers and the surprise of friends.
"Have you ever tried to imagine yourself without hair?" she said.
Carringer knows the weariness and exhaustion that accompany the treatments of this terrible disease. Having to avoid the sun, eating frequently to help with nausea and receiving injections to boost both red and white cells were all part of the "package.” She also experienced a stroke in each eye that she had to endure throughout chemotherapy treatments.
However, her story does not end in despair. She has survived breast cancer with wonderful memories that she holds dear today.
The stranger in a car who gave Carringer a thumbs-up because she knew why Grace wore a turban on her head. The stranger, with all her revived and plentiful hair, gave Grace the hope of a brighter future.
The first Sunday attending church without her hair was a surprise to people. The sea of hats in the sanctuary at Friendship Baptist Church the following Sunday, however, reassured Carringer that she was among friends.
"That day was one of the biggest surprises of my life,” she said.
A nurse and good friend of Carringer's taught her how to inject herself so she didn't have to leave her home when she needed it done was another display of the love and compassion that helped her weather her own personal storm. These are just a few of the wonderful people, and the love they showed, that gave her the special memories that will last her lifetime.
"There's a sisterhood out there that we are a part of even though we would never have chosen to be,” Carringer said.
When Dr. Chester Jones, a dear friend and local pastor, asked, "Is that your hair?" she said, “Yes it is.” Her friend then asked, “Your real hair?" After stating it was, a single tear rolled down his cheek.
Carringer has a heart to help others as she's been helped. Her experience has left her feeling that she is a better person, wiser and more tolerant of others.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the country. Deaths from breast cancer have declined over time but remain the second-leading cause of cancer death among women overall, and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women.
Every year in the United States, about 255,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in women, with another 2,300 cases in men. The rate of death from breast cancer is higher in black women than that of white women.
Studies reveal your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors, including being a woman and aging. For details, visit CDC.gov.