October 16, 2021 Issue, Page 15 of 18

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October 16, 2021 Breast Cancer awareness “I consider myself very lucky.” Jones urges others to get regular mammograms they had me come back in. “was gone literally within just a brother, explaining that her for women to get their yearly breast cancer, that her paternal They said ‘well, we think we few months.” Jones further ex- grandmother had been diag- mom had major back surgery mammograms. To those that are see something, it could just be plained, “He remembered that, nosed with what Jones recalls right before her radiation treat- just beginning their own breast abnormal cells. You can either so when he first heard about being either stage three or four ment started so she relied on cancer journey, she advises “get wait six months or do a biopsy.” my diagnosis, it just terrified at the age of 49 or 50. Jones ex- her brother, who took her to you a really good support sys- She opted for the biopsy and him. I reassured him that mine plains that her grandmother did some of her treatments as well tem and don't lose faith.” When was on lunch from school when was nothing like that, but it was not pass away from her breast as providing other support. they called her with the results. hard.” cancer but did have to undergo In the years since her own asked what she would say to Jones shares that they asked if According to Jones, once the chemotherapy and radiation. personal encounter with breast fellow survivors, Jones shares, she would like to come into the results came back, “it all went Of course this information calls cancer, Jones says that she’s “it's funny because I guess I still office and she told them “no, pretty fast,” with her undergo- into question whether Jones’ definitely developed a different don't really put myself with that it’s a two hour drive to Okla- ing a lumpectomy that March cancer was hereditary. She ex- outlook when she thinks about group because I don't feel like I homa City, so just tell me on the and, while she didn’t have to plains that she did have genet- what she went through “it was went through as much asa lot of phone.” It was then that Jones receive chemotherapy, she did ic testing done and while she just so miniscule compared to women. I mean, I did go through was told that she had cancer. does not carry the well-known Janie and Teresa and lots of oth- endure radiation treatment dur- something, it wasn't easy by any ing the July of that summer. She BRCA gene, she does have what er women, they're tough wom- ‘The Merritt Schools teacher means, but I guess I've always considers herself “very lucky” explained that the treatment they call its sister, PALB2, say- en. I can't imagine having to go considered myself as just being Mandy Jones, a teacher at as she shares that she was di- she received was “a new kind of ing, “They say you either get it through not only just the radia~ so much more fortunate than a Merritt Schools, is a three- agnosed with stage zero breast radiation called brachytherapy from your mom or your dad, tion I went through but having lot of women. I consider myself year breast cancer survivor. cancer “I didn't know there was and what they do is they stick which my dad’s passed away. to go through the chemo treat- very lucky” Jones explained, a stage zero, so I was definitely rods through your breast, like, So my mom got tested, and she ments and going through a full very lucky.” Jones says that the they go all the way through your doesn’t have it. So obviously it mastectomy. I mean, I still have “one of my friends asked ‘why By Burgundy Lee Hanrahan first thing that popped into breast, I had around 20 of them, came from my dad. They said my breasts. Now when someone would you say you consider her mind when she was given and they hook you up to this that it's really rare for more than says they have or had breast can- yourself lucky, you had cancer?” When Mandy Jones turned the news was “Who's gonna machine. So instead of getting one sibling to have it. Well, my cer; I mean, it was terrible be- and I said, because it could have 40 in February of 2018 she was take care of him?” “Him” be- the radiation on the outside, like brother has it, too. I was like, fore but now it's just like ‘oh my been so much worse. Sometimes unsurprisingly told that she ing her then 15 year old son, on your skin, it goes on the in- ‘well, that's crazy.” Jones shared god. You just have a whole dif- I feel guilty and wonder why I needed to start getting mam- Jones continued, “Because it’s side.” Jones shares that “It wasthat while they would not do ge- ferent outlook on it. It changes got so lucky and some women mograms. Jones labeled herself just him and I. I mean, his dad’s cool. You don't feel it when it's netic testing on her son at that a lot of things.” Jones reiterates didn’t, especially when I would “the world’s biggest procrasti- great, but that's the first thing happening, but I had the rods time since he was under 18, he that she's always considered go to the treatment centers over nator on everything” as she ex- you think of is ‘who's gonna in for almost two weeks. I went has just turned 18 and so he will herself “very, very lucky” as she that year and sit there and look plained that she put off getting take care of him?’ So yeah, it in twice a day for five days, it have the genetic testing done as recalls a friend that needed to around.” one until that December when was very devastating to say the wasn’t a lot of fun.” She asserts a proactive measure and so that get mammogram and “just kept Jones concluded, “I was for- she realized that her insurance least.” She explained that giv- that despite that, “it could have he has the information for the putting it off,” saying that she deductible would soon reset ing her child the news was espe- been worse. I look at people like future, told her, “girl, don't put it off. I tunate and I was blessed to have with the upcoming New Year. cially hard because the mother my friends Janie and Teresa and Now three years cancer free, put it off almost a year...it could been the lucky one. I guess I After Jones had gone in for the of one of his friends had, four T definitely got lucky” Jones credits her “awesome have been so much worse. Do could have been super lucky and breast screening, she explains or five years before that, been Jones shares that in her case family” for their “big support,” not wait, don't put it off” not had it at all. But I was lucky that “they saw something and diagnosed with brain cancer and there was a family history of including her mom and her Jones stresses the importance that it turned out the way it did.” 7 Small Enough To Know You, Large Enough to Serve “Rural Personal Service” * ‘Metro Technology” fw Quality, affordable healthcare FAnnh right here, right now. ™ 501 South L.L. 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