For one of LN’s permanent subs, Stacy Duke, Oct. 4 was a big day to celebrate. It was the day she rang the bell for finishing her breast cancer treatments.
“I was very thankful and grateful for a new life and healthy life,” Duke said.
According to the CDC, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. It also affects men, though at a lower rate. Each year in the United States more than 240,000 people are diagnosed.
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime.
In early 2022, Duke found herself facing what many women worry they will encounter in their lifetimes. She was taking care of her husband, who had been battling lung and bone cancer, which she says was a journey she will never forget. Then in late March or early April, she went in for her annual check up that included a mammogram.
“I took the mammogram and they said they saw a little something. So then I went back and they did the ultrasound. Then I went back and had a biopsy and during the consultation I was told that I had cancer,” Duke said.
That moment was heart stopping.
“I was shocked and I was just in a daze. It was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe that I had it because I haven’t missed any test but then I had to realize God put me there for purpose. I had to go through to find out what it was,” she said.
Duke ended up having two surgeries and three rounds of radiation. Through the whole thing, she continued to work. She said being around the people here helped.
“The kids here at LN would warm my spirit from all the hugs, heys and smiles. That made me feel like I was taking care of somebody else as well as myself.”
As Duke said, it’s not a journey that anyone wants to be on, and it brought its share of challenges.
“The most challenging part was being able to embrace the illness and still live,” she said.
But Duke says that she learned a lot over the last few months.
“You need to stay healthy. You have to have a willing spirit. I’m still alive and healthy, and that’s the best part. I’m just blessed to never give up,” she said. “Persevere and pray that if you do those things you will have a well-rounded life. This testimony is to help someone else.”
Her spirit and her faith kept her going during her battle with breast cancer, and it is what continues to push her forward.
“Faith is what took me through, perseverance, stamina and a positive attitude. You must be willing to sacrifice something,” Duke said. “The journey allows you to appreciate life more and to help others.”
