Patient Storytelling for Healthcare

For AL.com / University of South Alabama Health

Getting diagnosed with breast cancer is one of those pivotal moments in life that takes you down an unforeseen path. Though there have been legions of women before you, scarred and stronger because of their confrontations with cancer, you may never expect that it could happen to you.

On your breast cancer journey, there will challenges that test your mettle and uncertainties that try your patience. But breast cancer survivors like Eleanor Reeves don’t want you to forget about the steadfast ambassadors of hope alongside you on the road: the people who you can trust to help you and heal you in a time of need.

Eleanor Reeves was a picture of near-perfect health before her diagnosis of breast cancer in June 2017 at 53 years old. The Executive Director of Beckwith Camp and Retreat Center in Fairhope, Alabama, rarely ever needed to see a doctor except for the requisite annual exam. On a clear and sunny summer day in 2017, Eleanor’s doctor found a shadowy spot on her left breast on her annual mammogram. After an x-ray and a biopsy, her doctor determined that it was Stage II breast cancer. She had no history of cancer in her family.

“It didn’t seem to fit who I thought I was as a person,” Eleanor said. “The first thing I realized in that moment is ‘Well, I’m not in charge here.’”

Eleanor would go on to see oncologist Dr. Daniel Cameron and breast/endocrine surgeon Dr. Lynn Dyess at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute for her breast cancer treatment. For the 1-inch mass in her left breast, Dr. Cameron, Dr. Dyess, and Eleanor decided on a mastectomy. The physicians also determined through an Oncotype DX test that Eleanor’s risk of recurrence was high, so her surgery was followed by 20 weeks of chemotherapy at the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute’s Kilborn Clinic in Fairhope.

For Eleanor, the idea of chemotherapy was the most troubling part of her cancer treatment. The surgery meant that the cancer would be removed from her body, a first step in the process of healing. She knew chemotherapy would be another story—an emotional journey spurred by all the changes that would happen in her body and the way they would make her feel.

But walking into the Kilborn Clinic in Fairhope where she would be receiving her chemotherapy treatments, Eleanor’s spirits were genuinely lifted by what she found there. The front desk receptionists were always ready to welcome her with a big smile and friendly “hello.” During the many holidays she spent in the infusion area of the clinic—Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s—the staff would dress up in lively and elaborate costumes, always festive, always lighthearted.

“The staff was intentional about making everyone feel welcome and safe. Doing anything that would make you feel better was their goal,” Eleanor said. “They kept everyone’s spirits up and took that very seriously. I never felt a sense of dread about going to that facility.”

The care Eleanor received from her surgeon Dr. Dyess and her oncologist Dr. Cameron also helped her get through the challenge with confidence. “Dr. Dyess was extremely knowledgeable and her level of expertise always made me feel confident in the steps we were taking,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Cameron worked closely with Eleanor to make chemotherapy as comfortable as possible, including adjusting her treatment to fit her life. “He always considered my options, my work, and what I was going through at the time to tailor my treatment on an individual level. At one point, he explained that there would be eight weeks of more difficult chemo – widely known as ‘The Red Devil’ – but I told him I needed to do the harder parts in the winter when life slowed down a bit. We would talk through some of these things together,” she said.

Many cancer patients talk about the fear and devastation that comes part and parcel with this disease. Undergoing challenging treatments like chemotherapy and confronting the vast unknown – will it come back? – require plenty of courage and fortitude. When her friend Susan sent her a Bible verse from Joshua 1:9, “Be strong and courageous, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,” Eleanor held it close to her heart to remind her of the strength she already had to overcome the ordeal. Throughout her personal journey with breast cancer, though, Eleanor said placing her trust in the people who were providing her care helped alleviate her fears.

“I never felt afraid,” she said. “I felt taken care of in the hands of people that knew how to deal with this. Cancer was their area of expertise and I was comforted in the healthcare that I had access to in Mobile and Fairhope. I never felt with my doctor, surgeon, and oncologist, that I needed to be somewhere else.”

During the 20 weeks she spent visiting the Kilborn Clinic, Eleanor also made a friend undergoing the same treatment. Every Tuesday, the newfound companions would go to the clinic at the same time, sit in the same seats next to each other, and visit with each other. “A blessing of a friendship came out of meeting someone going through the same thing,” Eleanor said.

The unexpected beauty of it all was that so many other blessings were unveiled in her life when cancer showed up. Breast cancer is a devastating disease, yes, but it was also a “revelation” for Eleanor, her voice lighting up as she speaks of the kind and gracious nurses she got to know or the friends and co-workers who showered her with encouragement and showed up to her treatments.

“Always look for the positive things that came out of the journey,” she said. “See the blessings and recognize the gifts rather than focusing on the cancer or chemo.”

The USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute Kilborn Clinic in Fairhope, Alabama, is an academic medical cancer center that provides the most comprehensive, advanced treatment for patients with cancer. Treatments and amenities currently offered at Mitchell Cancer Institute Kilborn Clinic include medical and radiation oncology, chemotherapy, state-of-the-art radiation therapy, clinical trials, genetic testing, support groups, and education sessions.